MICA McNEILL has been celebrating the biggest success of her career after she was crowned Junior World Bobsleigh champion in Germany at the weekend.

The Consett driver has been competing in the senior ranks this season, and looks well placed to secure a spot on the British squad for next year’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, but dropped back to junior level to take on the world’s leading rivals in her age category.

The 23-year-old teamed up with former Commonwealth Games sprinter Mica Moore to compete in the two-woman event at the World Junior Championships in Winterberg.

The pair only began competing together this winter, but their performance over two runs saw them finish almost six tenths of a second clear of their closest competitors from Germany.

The two German sleds filled the silver and bronze medal places, but McNeill and Moore won gold to add another medal to the brace of silvers and a bronze that they claimed on the senior North American Cup circuit last November.

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“It’s a massive result for Great Britain Bobsleigh and the women’s programme, and it’s one that these athletes should be very proud of,” said Lee Johnston, head coach of GB Bobsleigh’s junior team. “Both Micas performed when it really mattered, and to beat the Germans in their own backyard is a real boost.

“That’s not easy to do, but they produced two consistent runs, kept their cool under pressure and executed what they’d been practising in training. They’ve worked very hard in preparation for this event, and it’s great to see that hard work pay off.”

McNeill’s victory cements her status as one of the most exciting prospects in the whole of British winter sport, and continues the rapid progress that has been apparent in the last 18 months.

Since stepping up to senior level, the North-Easterner has taken her performances to another level, and she is now regularly proving competitive against the world’s leading drivers.

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As well as claiming a Junior World title, McNeill also teamed up with Montell Douglas, a former British 100m record holder in athletics, to claim another gold medal in the Europa Cup event staged at Winterberg two days before the junior competition.

Her success at junior level gave Britain their first World Junior title for six years, and enabled her to follow in the footsteps of Paula Walker, who teamed up with Rebeka Wilson to achieve similar success at Park City in February 2011.

Walker piloted the GB1 bob at the last Winter Olympics in Sochi, but has retired from the sport after taking time out to have a baby. McNeill would now appear to be her natural successor.

“Having been with Mica (McNeill) from the start of her bobsleigh career prior to the 2012 Youth Olympics, it’s great to see her progressing like this,” added Johnston.

“It’s been a great week for the women, with Mica and Montell winning the Europa Cup race (last) Thursday, and it should be a real confidence boost moving forward.”

McNeill, who won a silver medal at the 2012 Youth Olympics alongside British long jumper Jazmin Sawyers, had previously won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships, with Niki McSweeney five years ago. She was fourth in last year’s event, and had also previously been sixth and seventh.

Her season is building towards the Senior World Championships, which will be staged in the German resort of Konigsee later this month, with the women’s bobsleigh races due to take place on February 17 and 18.