A NEW West Fife sporting star will be crowned at a prestigious awards ceremony in Dunfermline this month.

The contest is between two teenagers with swimmer Mark Szaranek up against athlete Aidan Thompson (pictured) for the sports personality of the year award for 2013.

It will be announced on Wednesday 26th February at the Dunfermline and West Fife Sports Council's annual sports awards for 2013.

The awards celebrate the very best sportsmen and women in West Fife and this year's event takes place in the Carnegie Conference Centre - work is being carried out at the Glen Pavilion.

An array of awards will be presented but the top honour is the sports personality of the year award and a new name will go on the trophy after a reign of dominance from Olympian Eilidh Child.

The 400 metres Pitreavie hurdler has won the award for the past six years but a change in the rules means no-one can win it more than three times.

And the top of the podium now beckons Szaranek and Thompson, the two nominees who enjoyed glittering success in 2013.

Szaranek (18), from Carnegie Swimming Club, was selected for the Great Britain team that competed in the European Junior Championships in Poland last summer.

He took bronze in the 200m Individual Medley and silver in the mixed 400m freestyle relay, and also competed for GB in the World Junior Championships in Dubai.

Thompson (17), a pupil at Queen Anne High School and member of Pitreavie AAC, is ranked number one in the UK in his age group over two miles, third for the 1500m steeplechase and fourth for the mile.

He's won Scottish, Scottish Schools and English titles in the past year and represented Scotland in the London mini marathon.

Nine other awards will be handed out on the night to individuals and teams.

The nominees for the Asda St Leonard's trophy, which is presented for sporting achievement by youngsters aged 16 and under, are: Iona Crawford, Bethany McAndrew, Craig Moriarty and Aimee Scott (all for athletics); Kirsty Marsh (judo); Craig McLean and Lauren Pirouet (swimming); Joe Nally (cycling); Jamie Sinclair (karate) and Alison Tate (water polo).

The Rotary Club of Dunfermline junior team of the year award, for under-16s teams, will go to either Pitreavie's under-15 girls cross country team or InCAS East District Channel Junior Relay team.

The East Kilbride Sports Council Award, presented to athletes with a disability, will be contested by: Billy Allan and Maria Spencer (bowls); Stefan Hoggan, Craig Rodgie and Lucy Walkup (swimming); Owen Miller (athletics) and Kieran Steer (boccia).

The sole nominee for the Benny Hutton team award, for over-16s teams, is the Spartans Gymnastic Display team.

Athletics duo Isobel Burnett and Jane McLeod are up for the CDT Centenary Masters Award, for sporting achievement among those 35 and over, and there are five up for a new prize, the Active Fife Coach of the Year award. They are: Rhys Davies (school sport); Vikki Fairweather (boxercise); Bill Lindsay (athletics); Alan Russell (tennis) and John Szaranek (swimming).

In the youth coach of the year section, it will be either Skye Fraser (netball) or Taryn Neilson (shinty).

There will be no outright winner in the Services to Sport and Active Fife Services to School Sport awards, with all nominees being recognised and rewarded.

The nominees for Services to Sport are: Vonny Burke, from Pitreavie AAC, and Dunfermline Cricket Club duo Nancy Gibson and Lindsay Ferguson.

And the nominees for the Active Fife Services to School Sport are: Mary Murphy, Janine Pirouet, Ricky Skelding and Pam Turner.