FORMER Carnegie Swimming Club member Ollie Carter is preparing to make a splash at international level in the New Year.

The 18-year-old, who now represents Stirling University, is one of four para-swimmers that have been selected to race at the Geneva International Meet next month alongside Jack Milne, Abby Kane and Toni Shaw.

A member of British Para-Swimming's World Class Performance Programme for the 2018/19 season, Carter will return to training on January 3 ahead of the event, after which he will attend a four-day British Swimming Academy camp in February, World Championship trials in April, and a final British meet in the summer.

His busy schedule comes on the back of a successful 2018, which saw him smash his own S10 classification Scottish 400 metres freestyle record at the British Summer Championships in Sheffield, and reach the final of the 100m multi-class freestyle.

In addition, Carter swam at the British Universities and College Sport (BUCS) meet where, in seven events, he set new PBs in the 100m butterfly and 100m freestyle events while on his way to placings from third to fifth.

The National Para-Swimming Championships (long course) also proved fruitful as, in five events, he recorded new best times in the 50m freestyle, 200m individual medley and 100m butterfly. He won the 50m freestyle and 200m individual medley, as well as the 100m and 400m freestyle.

Carter has been training alongside fellow Stirling University students, and Scottish and British internationals, Ross Murdoch and Duncan Scott, and Richard Brickley, president of Disability Sport Fife, praised his achievements.

"Ollie acknowledges his excellent training experiences in Fife but believes he has already made significant progress working under the university swim team," he said.

"He believes that his training is a lot less intensive and much more technical and controlled. The structure involves weekly, monthly and quarterly planners with specific distances, sets and goals to achieve throughout. Ollie has always enjoyed training and is thriving on the challenges set by the university team.

"Disability Sport Fife pays tribute to the organisations and individuals who have contributed financially to Ollie’s development during the formative years in particular. Scottish Disability Sport recognised Ollie with a bursary earlier in the year as Scotland’s emerging para junior.

"Ollie has been a great servant to Fife as a junior para swimmer and has achieved an enormous amount at UK level but in his new base at Stirling University, he has every chance of stepping up to a higher level in international para swimming."