FOR Alastair Brownlee at London 2012, read Marcus Dey Tokyo 2020.

Tipping Marcus to win Olympic triathlon gold in Japan, eight years before the event, may seem like a leap of faith, especially considering he is still just a promising 12-year-old.

But that is a measure of the belief North West Triathlon Academy coach Mike Myers has in the Bury Athletic Club member.

Marcus is the youngest athlete ever invited to join Myers’ Olympic feeder programme, which is set up to highlight and develop triathletes aged between 14 and 19.

He qualified for the academy on the strength of exceptional times in both swimming and running – which were over and above the testing standard set for youngsters at least two years his senior.

And Marcus has since backed up those times with 11 victories out of 11 races this year, winning the North West triathlon series with a 100 per cent record before claiming the British under-13s title at Eton Dorney.

That triumph, which was all the more remarkable considering Marcus broke his arm in a training accident three weeks before the competition, underlined his potential as a future Olympic star, according to Myers.

“He could go all the way. At his age, he is the most talented boy we have ever had,” said Myers.

“There is nobody to rival him in his age group, nationally if not internationally. He is unbeatable, nobody can get near to him.”

Unlike many triathletes – at youth and senior level – Myers says Marcus is equally talented at all three disciplines.

He started off as a swimmer, competing for Rochdale Aquabears since the age of five, and has always been a talented runner. It was at a school cross country event that he was handed a leaflet from his local triathlon club and, despite not owning a bike at the time, decided to give it a go.

Marcus came third in his first event, against much older competitors, and decided it was the sport for him.

He went on to compete for Bolton Tri Club and joined Eastlands Velo and Bury Athletics Club to work on each discipline with specialist coaches.

A punishing six-days-a-week training regime, often before and after school, has seen him flourish into a unique talent.

But Marcus has also shown bravery to match his ability. “He is very tough,” said Myers. “I was there when he came off his bike and hurt his arm. He was in a lot of pain, but it didn’t put him off at all.”

Doctors told Marcus to forget competing at the British championships, but after having his cast removed three days before the event, Marcus decided to give it a go. “I figured you only really need your arms for the swimming, but when I was in the water it didn’t seem to hurt, so I just got on with it, he said.

Marcus dedicated his eventual victory to Bury AC running coach Geoff Little, who has helped work on his technique over the past two years.

“Every time I think about winning, it just makes me smile,” said the Manchester United fan. “I really want to be like the Brownlee brothers and win at the Olympics,” he said.

“They have really inspired me, but I would also like to be like Chris Boardman and have my own sporting brand. I have taken my GCSE options early so I can do business studies, so hopefully that works out.”