NORTH YORKSHIRE’S Abi Smith has beaten off competition from a host of talented young rivals to make it on to British cycling’s elite junior team.

The Helmsley-based 16-year-old is ranked among the top eight junior cyclists in the country, and has been awarded a place in the British Cycling Junior Academy.

Abi, who is also a successful mountain runner, will not compete in a series of prestigious international races, as well as committing to a training schedule of more than 100 days a year.

“It’s very exciting, but nerve-wracking too, knowing I’ll be training with the best in the UK,” said the teenager, who is a pupil at Ripon Grammar School. “It’s so competitive to get into the national team, with 60 top athletes every year applying for a small number of places.”

As part of her selection, Abi competed against 60 other riders in a national series of 30km races over three days in the North West Youth Tour and again in the London Youth Tour. She came second overall, just ten seconds behind the winner.

“I was shocked to get in,” she added. “I wasn’t really expecting it as you have to be both a road and velodrome track rider, and I haven’t really done much velodrome riding. But they said they could see potential.”

Although the team is based at the Derby Velodrome, Abi will do most of her training in North Yorkshire.

“I’ll be spending about a third of the year training on my bike, doing road rides from school and with the local Moonglu and Clifton cycling clubs,” she said. “I’ve spent the past six years doing sport every day, training around ten hours a week, so I’m used to it and will give it a go.”

Also a keen cyclist and swimmer, Abi has competed in triathlons since the age of ten, taking part in National Super Series events all over the country, and regularly finishing in the top five.

She recently led her England team mates to a bronze medal when she was first to cross the line for her country in the Under-17s Home International Mountain Running Championships in Ireland. But she will now put her running on hold to focus on cycling.

“It’s a bit sad about stopping the running,” she said. “But out of the three sports in triathlon, cycling is definitely my favourite. And I think it will be easier to concentrate on one sport.”

NORTH-EAST trampolinist Kat Driscoll has been confirmed on the British team for the Trampoline, Tumbling and DMT World Championships, which will be staged in St Petersburg next month.

Driscoll, who was an Olympic finalist in Rio de Janeiro two years ago and is a member of Apollo Trampoline Club in Washington, is one of three senior British women selected on the British trampoline squad in Russia.

She will be joined by Olympic silver medallist, Bryony Page, and last year’s British champion, Laura Gallagher, at the event, which takes place between November 7-10.

Durham’s Rachel Davies, who is a member of Deerness Gymnastics Academy, leads the senior women’s tumbling team, having retained her British title earlier this year.

She will be joined by Deerness club-mate Shanice Davidson, who joined her on the podium at the British Championships, as well as Milton Keynes-based Megan Kealey.

A third Durham tumbler, Sophie Allen, has been selected to represent Britain in the 15-16 years girls category.

STOCKTON showjumper Millie Allen achieved national success when she won the Winter Grand Prix held at Aintree Equestrian Centre’s Winter Classic Show.

Riding Balou Star, a 13-year-old bay stallion owned by Udo Oppermann, Allen saw off 40 rivals to claim top spot as she recorded two clear rounds to win by more than a second.