Great Britain swimmer James Guy goes from Warrington Sports Personality junior winner to world number one

James Guy, who studied at Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School and then Newman High School when he lived in Warrington, capped a triumphant week in the final two rounds of the Swimming World Cup in Doha and Dubai with a fourth gold medal on Saturday.

And that added to the two golds and a silver the 19-year-old keen angler won at the world championships in Russia three months earlier.

Warrington Under 11 Sports Personality of the Year 2007

Guy is more than meeting the potential seen when he won the Warrington Under 11 Sports Personality of the Year Award for 2007.

4 Races, 4 Wins. Was nice to go faster than Doha, and be World Number 1 for the start of the season!… https://t.co/u8qAqmFOoG

— James Guy (@Jimbob95goon) November 7, 2015

Completing a clean sweep at the World Cup, the 6ft 2ins athlete twice struck freestyle gold in the 200m and 400m in Dubai on Friday and Saturday, following up first places in Doha earlier in the week.

.@Jimbob95goon pulling some funny faces after claiming his GOLD! #SWCDubai pic.twitter.com/SXWTtnDpk8

— Swimming World Cup (@finaSWCdubai) November 6, 2015

In August, Bury-born Guy was a member of the Great Britain 4x200m relay team that won gold at the world championships in Kazan, while he won another gold in the individual 200m and silver in the 400m.

All those training hours since a young age are now proving their worth for Guy, whose grandfather George was a champion boxer in his native India before he moved over to Britain where Guy’s father, Andrew, was born.

He married specialist swimming coaching with education at Millfield School in Somerset after leaving home in Stockton Heath seven years ago.

Back in 2007, he impressed Sports Personality judges not only with his medal-count achievements but his dedication – waking up for training at 4.10am.

James Guy receiving his Warrington Under 11 Sports Personality of the Year 2007 trophy from Warrington Wolves' Matt King, Warrington Guardian group editor Nicola Priest, left, and Warrington Guardian publisher Eleanor Underhill

He reaped early rewards, winning eight medals (six gold) in the National Age Group Championships that year.

Guy started swimming at the age of five, joining Swim Trafford when he lived in Altrincham and he had won more than 300 medals before leaving the town.

Incredible medal tally at an early age

After winning 400m freestyle bronze on his European Junior Championship debut in 2012, Guy made his mark among the senior ranks in 2013, winning 200m and 400m freestyle bronze at the British Gas Swimming Championships.

He followed that up with double gold (200m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle) at his second European Junior Championships in Poznan, then made his senior international debut at the World Championships in Barcelona, lowering his British Age Group record (17 yrs) to finish fifth in the 400m freestyle, then setting another British Age Group record (17 yrs) as the lead-off in the 4x200m freestyle relay as the British quartet finished seventh.

Back in 2013

Guy finished his breakthrough season with three medals at the World Junior Championships in Dubai, landing silver over 200m and 400m freestyle then anchoring the British quartet to 4x200m freestyle relay gold in a Championship record.

Last year, Guy laid down a signal of intent with a hat-trick of golds at the British Gas Swimming Championships, taking the touch in the 200m free, 400m free and 200m fly, and breaking the British record in the 400m free.

He won his first senior international medal later in the season, lowering the British record again to claim 400m freestyle bronze for England on his Commonwealth Games debut at Glasgow 2014.

James Guy on the podium after winning bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last year