JACK CARLIN has barely had time to draw breath in 2018 so far.

The 18-year-old began the year by becoming British champion in the sprint, the first individual national title he has picked up at any age-group before returning from last month’s World Championships with two silver medals, in the team sprint and individual sprint.

His form bodes well for the Commonwealth Games, which begin in Australia’s Gold Coast two weeks today, and he admits that his impressive rides at the World Championships has done wonders for his self-belief. “Hopefully my form will stay the same but I think that performance at the Worlds has given me a lot more confidence going into the Commonwealth Games,” he said.

“I’m only doing the individual events in Gold Coast – I’m doing the Keirin and the sprint. The Keirin is a bit of a lottery and it’s not something I’ve trained for in the past so coming away with fifth place at the Worlds was good,” the Glaswegian said.

“Physically I was there, it was just tactically I got it wrong in the final. So it’s given me a lot of confidence in that event. Before, I’d have said that I was going to Gold Coast just to compete and gain experience but now, I’m going there to bring medals home.”

A number of Carlin’s main rivals in Gold Coast will be his GB teammates and he admits that Scotland-England rivalry adds an extra edge to things.

And even more so when it will be one of his housemates, England’s Joe Truman, who the teenager could well be up against for a spot on the podium. “I had a few training sessions back in Manchester before heading up to Scotland and the rivalry was starting to show,” Carlin revealed. “Joe and I have raced against each since I was about 15 but it’s a different experience racing for our own countries. So if I beat him, I’ll definitely let him know.”