Less than six months after taking up the sport, boxer turned powerlifter Ross Taggart is punching above his weight at competitions throughout the UK.

The 17-year-old from Branchton took part in his first ever Great Britain Powerlifting Federation junior championships in Bournemouth at the end of last month and finished in third place — an incredible feat given he was up against vastly experienced competitors.

The former St Columba’s High student followed that up with a gold medal and a new Scottish bench press record at the Scottish Junior Championships in Dundee on 8 November.

His most recent haul of prizes have now been added to an ever-expanding trophy cabinet, which also includes gold and silver medals won at various competitions over the last couple of months.

Ross told the Tele: “I’m so pleased with how well I’ve done.

“It was a great experience at the British championships. To be competing against boys who are brilliant and who were at the world championships last year was great.

“The standard was unreal, but I wasn’t very far behind them — only 50kg — and I’ve only been training for five months so I was delighted with third place. To get to that level in such a short timescale is good — I’m really chuffed.” His success at the British event inspired Ross to push on and do even better at the Scottish championships.

But incredibly his success at that competition came after he moved up a weight category and then lifted slightly more than his own body weight to earn a new national record.

Ross said: “I moved up a class from 93kg to 105kg and got a first and a new Scottish bench press record of 105kg.

“I could’ve done a lot better on the squat — I won it at 70kg and got 180kg but failed it because of my depth.

“I was gutted and after that I was a good few kilos behind everyone else.

“But I went to the bench and got the record and beat them with the deadlift.

“What happened with the squat spurred me on.” But Ross says he could not have done it without the support of coach and mentor Stuart Crighton from the Greenock Barbell Club, where he trains, and also the backing of his Greenock sponsors.

He said: “I’d like to thank the whole powerlifting club, especially Stuart who has helped me a lot.

“I would be nowhere without him — I’d be running about the gym clueless.

“My sponsors, Gianni’s chip shop at the West Station and Smart Repair on Nicolson Street, have also been a huge help and played a big part in my recent success.

“I can’t thank all of them enough.”