Oxfordshire's Kieran Bird, believes his selection for the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) will help him closer to his dream of competing at Tokyo 2020.

Bird’s victory in the junior 200m butterfly at the British Championships in April helped the Bicester Cooper School pupil qualify for the EYOF event in Tbilisi, Georgia, later this month.

Bird, 15, feels Tokyo is a more realistic target than the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Games.

He said: “This is the first step towards making the Olympic team and achieving my dream of competing at the Olympics.

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“I’m looking at the 2020 Games as a realistic goal.

“I have always wanted to represent Team GB and this is the first step for that.

“I have represented England in Italy before, but not Great Britain. Not many people get the chance to represent Great Britain and it will be great to to say I have done that.

“I will be so proud to have swum for my country.”

The Bicester Blue Fins swimmer expects to take part in the 100m and 200m butterfly at the EYOF, which takes place between July 26 and August 1.

“I’m ranked sixth or seventh in Europe for my age group, so I want to make a final,” he said. Getting a medal is something I aspire to.

“I want to take in the occasion and enjoy it.”

To follow the team out in Tbilisi 2015 visit www.TeamGB.com or via Twitter using @ TeamGB Bird’s clubmate, Freddie Ashley-Sparks, will join fellow Blue Fins Maddy Powell, Kieran Bird and Lottie Wynne-Jones at the National Open Water Championships near Sheffield next month.

It follows his display at the South East Region Open Water Championships in Chichester, west Sussex.

Ashley-Sparks, 12, was fifth in the 1500m to be age 13 regional champion and gold medal winner in 21.56.40.

The other three have already qualified from prior events.

Bird, 15, claimed the overall open championship as well as a gold medal and the regional age group championship in the male 3000m in 39.2.40.

Powell, Andrew Pryce, Tom Thornley, Josh Rowland and Sinead Vine-Nealon also won medals.