PORTLAND star Jay Lelliott says he has no intention of retiring from swimming at the end of this academic year.

The young swimmer caused a stir when he was quoted as saying “this could be my last year of swimming”, after competing in last weekend’s BUCS championships, but insists retirement is not on his radar.

He said: “The only reason I mentioned it being my last year is because I finish university after this year. It’s not because I’m going to be retiring.

“Money may end up being a struggle next year and I’m not sure how I’ll afford the sport if I don’t make it back on funding, but at the same time I can’t think about that, I have to do what I can this year to make sure that I can be my best possible self.

“It’s nothing to do with me retiring, I want to stay in the sport as long as I can because I love it.”

Lelliott is due to finish his studies at Bath University later this year, and with his student funding likely to be discontinued, the swimming supremo is looking at other methods to fund his efforts.

He said: “It’s just a bit of an unknown, but I’ve had help in my first two years (of university), and I’m now in a position where I’m getting help from the University and from my student loan, so where I’ve got that at the moment I won’t have it next year.

“My number one option will be to try and secure sponsorship, so I’d put myself out there to attract interest.

“It’s just trying to work out if I can stay in the sport financially, but I’m not thinking about that until after April.

“I don’t look at swimming from a money perspective when I race, I go in wanting to do well. I always want to do well and get better.

“I don’t think my time is done in the sport, I feel like I’m still waiting to get back to where I was, and I feel that is coming round the corner somewhere.”