Teenage Welsh swim sensation Matt Richards will be heading home from the European Junior Championships in Kazan, Russia, with a gold medal around his neck.

The 16-year-old Droitwich-based Richards followed up his bronze medal with the British 4 x 100m freestyle relay team with a brilliant triumph in the 100m freestyle in a personal best time – confirming his status as one of the rising stars of British swimming.

Having won his heat in 49.91 sec – one of only three swimmers in the nine heats to crack the 50 sec barrier – he went even quicker in the semi-finals, recording the fastest time of 49.50 sec. But he saved his best for last as he dominated the final to win in 48.88 sec.

He left Sweden’s Robin Hanson (49.05) trailing in his wake and the bronze medal went to Vladyslav Bukhov, of the Ukraine (49.25). Another Briton, Jacob Whittle, was seventh in 50.01.

Richards said: “I’m quite happy it all went well.

“I just wanted to keep up with the others until the turn as I knew my turn and my second 50m are good enough to be in a good position. It ended up gold, so I’m really happy.”

Richards was fastest out of the blocks, but only third at the turn. But then he went into overdrive coming home on the final 50 metres to comfortably overhaul Hanson and Bukhov.

Earlier in the meeting, Richards had reached the semi-finals of the 50m butterfly and swam the crucial leg in the 4 x 100m relay to put the British quartet on course for a medal.

The multi-Welsh record holder’s third leg time of 49.14 sec put the British team into a podium position and was the second fastest time posted by the 32 swimmers in the final.

Archie Goodburn and Edward Mildred led the British team off and after Richards’ great leg it was left to 14-year-old Jacob Whittle to bring the team home in 3:19.88 to claim the bronze medal. Russia took the gold in 3:18.48 and Italy the silver in 3:18.54.

He also led off the British mixed 4 x 100m relay squad with a time of 49.54 sec that matched the fastest time set by Germany’s golden boy Rafael Miroslaw, who set his squad on course to a Championship Best time in first place.

Kyle Booth finished just outside the medals as he came home in fifth in the 200m breaststroke final in 2.12.48, while Medi Harris was seventh in the 50m backstroke final in 28.82 sec.

Harris also helped the British team reach the final of the 4 x 100m medley relay, but didn’t feature in the final quartet that won a bronze medal.

The British team were also among the medals at the European Junior Diving Championships held earlier in Kazan.

They came home with no fewer than 11 medals, although there was no podium joy for Welsh Commonwealth Games competitor Aidan Heslop.

Diving with Oliver Crompton, Heslop just missed out on a medal in a very tight battle in the Boys A 3m Synchro final. Positions second to sixth were separated by just seven points and the British duo had to settle for fourth.

On the final night, Heslop suffered a similar fate when, despite a great performance, he finished fourth in the Boys A 10m final, with teammate Lucas Thomson fifth.