KENT'S 18-year-old international triathlete Oliver Freeman has just completed an outstanding penultimate year as a junior, adding to his already impressive collection of national and international medals.

The talented all-rounder from Smarden, near Ashford, is currently the World Duathlon champion, European triathlon champion and World triathlon silver medallist in his age group.

For the final race of his season Freeman chose to compete in his first senior event over the full Olympic distance at the national triathlon championships at the Albert Dock in Liverpool.

Despite having to borrow a bike 90 minutes before the start after a broken gear-shifter on his own machine, he was delighted to finish a creditable fifth in an impressive time of one hour 51 minutes 17 seconds.

That was a full 89 seconds ahead of the World No 1 Andrew Johns who came in sixth in 1:52:46 following his recent return from the Olympics in Athens.

The Kent teenager will now take a gap year between school and university to concentrate more intensively on his triathlon ambitions in his final year as a junior.

Freeman left Tonbridge School in July and has a place at Clare College, Cambridge, to read Natural Sciences for October 2005. He has paid tribute to Tonbridge School for all its support over the last five years, particularly the help with his running given by Huw Evans.