Champion swimmer Felix Samuels' 2009 focus is a long way off - about 11 months in fact.

But if this year is as rewarding as the last, the Ladbroke Grove 15-year-old is going to edge closer to an even further Olympic dream.

Just like his Camden Swiss Cottage SC mate Ed Walsh from Pimlico, Samuels saw his performances shoot through the roof in 2008. So good were they that he,not Walsh, was awarded the Van Beets Memorial Trophy given to the best swim by any Middlesex representative last month.

But proud mum, Moyra, implored us not to use his previous mugshot, because she joked that it made her son look like a 'budding criminal'.

The truth is Samuels jnr will steal the show if he can emulate previous feats.

He was the fastest in England last year for his age-group at 100m freestyle, while also winning the English Schools Championships, and in March competes in the four-nations international in Cardiff.

On top of that, he also won a silver in the Inter-Counties tussle in Sheffield, clocking 51.8secs for 100m free.

His win in Cardiff means Samuels will go on to the World Schools Championships in Qatar next December.

Before that, he has a date next week at the Geneva International Competition in Switzerland.

And what hours he has left in between now and next summer (not many) will be spent studying for his GCSEs.