Bumping into Zara Phillips a great way to cap off swim star's career

ZARA Phillips may have won a silver medal at London 2012 but it was Belper swimmer Ross Davenport's cap that she was wearing a few hours later.

The Queen's eldest granddaughter and equestrian star bumped into 28-year-old Davenport in the Athletes' Village, soon after she became the first Royal to win an Olympic medal.

Joined by teammates, they ended up hanging out at the canteen and swapping stories related to their London 2012 experience.

It led to Phillips putting on the cap Davenport wore during the final of the 4x200m freestyle relay earlier that evening.

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Davenport told his followers on Twitter that it was his "favourite Olympic moment".

Speaking to the Derby Telegraph, the swimmer said: "We'd just finished our last swim of the Olympics, so we decided to go and have a McDonald's.

"As we were walking over, we saw Zara Phillips and some of her teammates. We invited them to join us and they did.

"We were just talking away and she was telling us about her silver medal success. I asked if she'd be willing to swap one of her horse covers for a pair of trunks and she said 'no chance – it's not a fair deal'.

"She then asked what suits we had to wear and I pulled out one of my hats and before I knew it she was putting it on. It was quite surreal to see a member of the Royal Family wear something with my name on it."

The conversation then moved on to what pictures they had of their Olympic experience.

Davenport said: "Zara had quite a few family members go down to watch her. She was showing me her pictures and there was Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, Princess Beatrice and Princess Anne.

"I then said, 'do you want to see my pictures of my mum and dad?'

"It was a bit surreal. I was thinking her grandmother is the Queen and my grandmother was watching the Olympics at home in Allestree."

Davenport is now back in Derbyshire and has spent the past two days running "swim days" at Repton School, along with swimming coach Melanie Marshall.

Davenport is retiring from swimming and looking for a permanent move into the coaching side of the sport.

He said: "The Olympics has inspired so many young people and I want to play a role in ensuring it does lead to more people taking up sport.

"I started my swimming journey when I was six years old and I'm now 28. Sport has given me so much and I want to ensure others benefit in the same way I have.

"Whether it's working with Derbyshire Sport, the University of Derby or swimming clubs, it's my dream now to work with the next generation of swimmers."