Southend Sport

Atkins can’t grab place for Youth Olympics

10:24am Monday 24th May 2010

DESPITE a plucky performance, star Ashingdon athlete Georgia Atkins failed to win a spot in the inaugural World Youth Olympics in Singapore in September.

The 16-year-old Southend High School for Girls student was in action in Moscow this weekend in the girls’ 100 metres hurdles at the European Youth Olympic trials.

She rain in heat four and did not get through to the final after finishing fourth in a time of 14.74secs in the Russian capital.

Georgia, coached by Billericay’s Steve Mitchell at Chelmsford AC, interrupted preparations for her GCSE exams to take part in the event, where the top five in the final qualified to represent Europe in the Singapore competition.

The final was won by Russia’s Ekaterina Bleskina in a time of 13.34 seconds with the other qualifiers for the World Youth Olympics coming from Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany.

Despite not winning through, this latest international appearance — she was one of only 22 Britons selected for the trials — will have given Georgia huge experience for her future career.

This is her first season of competing as a youth over 100 rather than 80 metres with the hurdles set at a different height.

She was also younger than many of her rivals, with the final winner having already celebrated her 17th birthday in January whereas the Essex girl does not reach that age until August.

• Email this page