A Manorbier surfer has put himself in with a shout of competing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic games after notching up a third place finish in Scotland over the weekend.

Surfing is due to make its Olympic debut in July 2021 in Japan, and set to include a line-up of world champions, World Surf League (WSL) tour veterans, and rookie pros ready to make their mark on the sport.

One such competitor could be Pembrokeshire’s very own Harry Cromwell, who has just come back from Scotland’s cold water surfing mecca Thurso where he managed to finish third in the British Surfing Championships.

This was the first time the event had been held in Caithness since the 1980s and the first time they had been held in Scotland since 1992.

Given the extent to which the pandemic has hit extreme sports contests over the last year, it seemed like a minor miracle when the Championships were given the green light to run at Thurso East.

With Covid restrictions still in place, Harry and his team only had a permit to travel to Scotland on a certain day, so after a long 16 hours in the car, snow on the ground and difficult surfing conditions it was a huge achievement when he managed to bag himself a third place finish in the competition, winning a £500 watch, and also a trip to the World Games to be held in El Salvador in May.

All Covid rules where followed between competition heats and the competitors had to stay in the hotel rooms and not mix with others to follow Government guidelines.

Should Harry comes away with a good result at the El Salvador event, he will then go forward to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics - not bad for the full-time fisherman, part-time surfer and father of four girls!

Harry and his partner Melissa hit the headlines back in 2011 when they were filmed for BBC’s fly-on-the-wall TV show Don’t Tell the Bride - where Harry planned the couple’s dream wedding (with a difference) in secret at Tenby harbour, where they even wore yellow wellies for the big day at St. Julian’s Church!