JAMES Guy insists he has never felt better in the pool – something the Bury teenager is eager to prove at next month’s World Championships.

The last 12 months have certainly been memorable for Guy, who has won five British titles in that time, as well as his first major international long course medal with 400m freestyle bronze at last summer’s Commonwealth Games.

And all that means the 19-year-old Millfield ace will arrive in Kazan, Russia, for the World Championships in high spirits – the swimming action getting underway on August 2.

Guy is no stranger to the World Championships, having competed in the 2013 global gathering in Barcelona where he finished fifth in the 400m freestyle.

However, a lot has happened between then and now and Guy admits he feels ready to announce himself to the full range of his international rivals.

“Training has been going really well and ahead of Russia I am in a very good place right now and I feel happy all the time,” he said.

“I am just ready to race now as I went out to Vichy for a training camp and got some good races out there, and then just spent a hard week in Majorca so I am ready to go.

“I am confident because I know I have put the hard work in and I can push myself going into races now.

“I wouldn’t call it over-confidence but I go into a race knowing I have put the hard work in and I always feel like I can put a good time in and get close to a personal best.

“Out in Kazan I just want to get a personal best and if I do that I know I will be in the mix. The main thing is to have fun and enjoy it and if I do that I am sure I will PB and be the best I can be.”

This year’s World Championships carry extra significance with the Rio Olympics looming large on the horizon – a fact not lost on a hopeful Grainger.

“Going to the Commonwealths last year and swimming good times and then doing the work this year too shows me that I am heading in the right direction for Rio,” he added.

“This year is all about putting in the hard work now so I can just tweak for next year so hopefully I can have a good summer and build on this and get to Brazil.”

James Guy is one of 1,300 athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery supported World Class Programme. Find out more www.uksport.gov.uk