A young Olympic swimming hopeful from York was today battling the deadly brain bug meningitis.

Teenage swimming hero Robin Francis, a junior international for Great Britain, is being treated at York District Hospital, where he will tomorrow spend his 17th birthday.

The award-winning young star, who returned from a competition in Sweden at Easter brandishing gold and silver medals for his country, was struck down with the illness last week after complaining of head pains.

Doctors said today that Robin, who studies at York Sixth Form College, was in a statisfactory condition.

But the sudden illness is a severe setback for the talented teenager, whose dream is to represent Great Britain in the 2004 Olympic Games.

In the shorter term, it also throws into doubt his chances of being selected for the European junior swimming championships being held in Moscow in July.

The young champion fell ill last Monday, but at first doctors thought it was just his sinuses. But by the next day, his headaches and vomiting were getting worse.

Robin's mother, Gloria Francis, of St Olave's Road, off Clifton, York, said: "We saw a different doctor and she immediately suspected meningitis and gave him penicillin."

Robin was taken to York District Hospital, where doctors began immediate treatment. Tests have shown him to have meningitis but it is not yet known which strain of the potentially fatal disease Robin is suffering from.

Mrs Francis said: "I just want him to get better. It has been a very worrying time for us.

"He's a dedicated swimmer and a strong, determined boy. He has everything going for him, so we are all hopeful.

"Knowing Robin, after recuperating he will get back into it as soon as he possibly can. He is in good hands at the hospital and we are all rooting for him."

Robin's swimming coach, Paddy Garratt, said: "We are only interested in the boy getting better. From the point of view of the swimming, it is a big setback, but it is Robin we are interested in, not Robin the swimmer."

Ian Small, the headmaster at Bootham School, where Robin was a pupil up until last summer, said: "He is a smashing lad and was a great student here. We are all very sorry to hear of his illness and wish him a speedy recovery."

Robin, who swims at the York City Baths Club, has a string of medals and awards to his name. Most recently, he scooped gold with his Great Britain relay team-mates in the 100m freestyle at the Six Nations Junior International competition in Sweden at Easter.

Up against swimmers from Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and France, Robin also swam to personal best times in all his events, as well as earning Great Britain silver with the 200m freestyle relay team.

He is a past winner of the Yorkshire Sports Award for under-16 boys, the Adrian Moorhouse Scholarship - for the most outstanding young swimmer in 1997 - and the Henry Dixon Trophy, which is awarded to the county's top swimmer.

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