Aspiring athlete hoping for medals at School Games

An aspiring athlete has been selected to compete at an elite UK Athletics competition.

Elliot Thorne, 16, is preparing to take on the long jump at the 2016 School Games at Loughborough University.

Elliot, who goes to Furze Platt Senior School and trains at the Thames Valley Athletics Club in Eton, will represent the South-west region and will compete alongside 1,200 other athletes.

He said: “I’m really excited to be competing in the 2016 School Games. I can’t wait to get out there and compete for the medals, but I’m looking forward to being around the village and watching the other sporting events.”

Notable competitors from previous School Games events include Paralympic champions Hannah Cockroft, Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock, world-record breaking swimmer Adam Peaty, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Olympic sprinter Adam Gemili.

The event will take place from September 1 to 4.