OLYMPIAN-in-waiting Jacob Peters has decided to stick with Poole in the lead up to Tokyo 2020 rather than head to university.

The 17-year-old Commonwealth Games triple finalist is considered one of Britain’s hottest prospects and has received tempting offers from various universities, including Loughborough and Bath, which both have British Swimming performance centres.

But Peters, currently sitting his A-levels at Poole Grammar School, told the Daily Echo he was reluctant to break up his successful partnership with Poole head coach Barry Alldrick.

“Barry and I get on so well and it’s all going well at the moment,” he said.

“There’s no reason to rush into a move just because I’m finishing school.”

He added: “Going to Bath or Loughborough or somewhere else is not something I desperately wanted to do and I have declined the offers.

“It has taken off in the past 12 months and I need to stay focused and keep doing what I have been to get me this far.

“It wouldn’t make sense to put myself through the cost and stress of moving when there is no real reason to do so.”

Peters made his decision soon after returning from the Commonwealth Games, where he was the youngest man in all three butterfly finals and won a silver medal after swimming for England in the medley relay heats.

There’s an interesting local precedent for such a decision. Dorset’s most successful past swimmer Karen Legg made the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games and won World Championship relay gold and seven Commonwealth Games medals without leaving Ferndown Otters.

Alldrick said: “The journey with Jacob has been hugely rewarding so far and I’m super-excited that we can carry it on.

“It would be nice to see him through to his first Olympics.

“But it comes with a big responsibility to ensure that he keeps progressing.”

Alldrick is currently preparing a programme that will enable Peters to do up to 10 pool sessions a week and strength and conditioning every day if required.

Motor dealers Breeze Volkswagen have given him an extra boost by giving him a VW Polo to get to training, complete with insurance and a promise to upgrade to a Golf GTI if he qualifies for Tokyo.

Peters’ immediate challenges are at European level, starting with next month’s European Junior Championship in Helsinki, where the British team also includes Poole team-mate Jazz McCrea and Alldrick himself as the boys’ coach.

Then it’s off to the European Games in Glasgow in August, where Peters’ 42 GB team-mates will include former Swim Bournemouth ace Jay Lelliott, now with City of Sheffield.

With bigger fish now in his fryer, Peters will not even rest for the junior showdown.

“I won’t be tapering for Helsinki but I will be looking for a medal and targeting times of 1min 57sec for the 200m, 52sec for the 100m and sub-24 for the 50m,” said Peters, who holds all three British 17yrs age group butterfly records.

“I will taper for Glasgow and looking to do personal best times.”

Next year’s big target will be the World Championship in South Korea before Peters resets his sights on Tokyo 2020.