REDCAR modern pentathlete Katy Livingston will attempt to confirm a place at this summer's Olympic Games when she competes in the World Championships in Budapest this afternoon, writes SCOTT WILSON.

Livingston, a former member of New Marske Harriers, is one of two British women to have qualified for this summer's Games, with Britain having been granted two spots for the Olympic competition.

This week's World Championships represent the final opportunity to secure a qualifying berth, though, and if one of Livingston's two currently unqualified British rivals was to secure a top-three finish in Hungary, she could yet find herself left out of the Olympic squad.

"At the moment, myself and Heather (Fell) are the ones who are up there, and people have to match us to go the Games," said Livingston, who is one of six Dreams of Gold athletes The Northern Echo is tracking ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games. "But it could all change at the World Championships.

"If the other two get on the podium, we're out. It's quite harsh that it can be snatched away from you at the last minute.

We live in the same city, train with each other every day and compete together, and we socialise outside of training hours too. We get on, but that only makes it even harder that there's only two spots available."

Livingston will compete in the women's semi-finals this afternoon, with the final scheduled for Saturday. The British Olympic Association will confirm the Great Britain team for Beijing in mid-June.