SWIMMING champion Dan Wilks has made a major stride in his bid to recover from a serious back injury.

The 19-year-old took first place in the 50 metre freestyle and finished third in the 100m freestyle at the Student Nationals in Leeds.

It was a big step for the former Warrington Sports Personality of the Year junior award winner after he spent most of last year recouperating from his injury.

The Nationals have put Dan in a strong position to qualify for the World Student Games which are due to take place in Majorca during the summer.

Dan's swift return to the top has been all the tougher because he has to combine his training with his medical studies at Leeds University.

Dan's mum Norma said: "He was delighted with how the Nationals went because it has given him a very strong chance of making it to the Student Games. It's been tough for him getting over the injury but it's going well."

Dan won a gold medal at the 1997 European Junior Championships as a member of the 4x100m freestyle team.

Last week he was presented with a £2,500 grant from Barclaycard who have sponsored Dan for the last three years as part of their Team 2000 sports scheme.

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