TROWBRIDGE high jumper Tom Gale has given himself a great chance of making the Great Britain team for the World Junior Championships in Poland next month.

The 18-year-old John of Gaunt School student cleared 2.17m at the England Athletics U20 Championships, in Bedford, adding another two centimetres to his personal best and equalling the qualifying standard for the World Juniors.

Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to give Gale victory even though he was tied with Rory Dwyer.

Stratford-upon-Avon’s Dwyer was awarded the title on countback by virtue of fewer failures at lower heights and is now in pole position to be named in the GB team for Poland when the first wave of selections are announced.

“I am happy with what I did in my first appearance in the England U20 Championships and I am still on the way up,” said Gale, who has now bettered his PB four times this year.

“Rory gets the automatic place in the team for Poland but I have been told I am in with a good chance to go as well so fingers crossed.

“I am pleased for Rory that he is back in form as it should mean some great competition ahead between me and him. But I have been very consistent this season and hopefully I have done enough to get selected as well but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Gale’s selection would complete a remarkable story of an athlete who only three years ago took up the event to help out his school.

“I went along to the Wiltshire Schools’ Championships and in my first high jump competition I won with a jump of 1.66m,” said Gale.

“It was after that jump that Caroline Howorth (a Team Bath official from Hilperton) came up to me and suggested I join the club to get some coaching so I am really thankful to her.”

That’s history in the making – and for Gale, one senses the story has a long way to run.