HELENSBURGH swimmer Eve Thompson ended 2016 in style record-breaking fashion, as she smashed a long-standing Scottish record.

The former Hermitage Academy pupil hit top form at the Scottish Short Course Championships at the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh, to swim three personal best times in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke. That was good enough to qualify the 18-year-old for the final in the 50m and 100m and her time in the latter of 1.10.32 broke the Scottish record for her age group set by Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Corrie Scott in 2011.

Eve admitted her time took her by surprise, but ahead of the long course season starting in January and her next competition in Ireland in February, she insists there is still plenty of improvement to be made.

She said: “I felt much stronger in the water, but I was really surprised how much faster my time was.

“I was so delighted to get my first Scottish record. I need to keep working hard and getting faster.”

Eve has seen steady improvement in the pool during her 18 months at Stirling University as part of the Uni’s much-heralded swimming programme, which boasts Olympians such as Ross Murdoch and Duncan Scott. Thompson’s time at Stirling University has seen her racing to the top of the Scottish rankings.

Eve ended the long course season at the top of the Scottish rankings in both the 100m and 50m breaststroke for her age group.

She was re-selected to the high performance squad for the upcoming season.