ATHLETICS: CHIPPENHAM sprinter Elaine O'Neill took another stride towards the 2012 Olympics with a silver medal at the English Schools' Athletics Championships.

The 16-year-old Sheldon School student was edged out by team-mate Kylie Russell in a thrilling 100m final in Gateshead on Saturday.

O'Neill crossed the line in 12.35 seconds, just nine tenths behind Wessex and Bath Club colleague Russell, who won in a time of 12.26s.

Despite missing out on the gold, the former South West Schools champion said she was happy to come away with a medal. Elaine said: "My times over 100m have been good this season, so I knew there was a chance I could finish in the top three.

"I was very slow out of the blocks in the final, but I came back strong in the middle of the race and by the finish it was very close. "Overall I was happy with the way I ran on the day and I was delighted to get the silver medal. I beat Kylie over 60 metres in the winter but she seems to have my number in the 100 metres.

"Kylie is a little older and stronger than me but I can't keep using that as an excuse. I have to get on with the training and try to improve my times. O'Neill has already run a personal best 11.96s this summer and has set herself an ambitious target of 11.80s by the end of the season.

With AS-levels now out of the way, she is free to focus her attention on the track. Her coach Nick Brown believes O'Neill has the potential to become of the country's premier athletes.

Other successes at Gateshead included Edward Mason, from Kingdown School, Warminster, who finished ninth in the inter boys' high jump with a personal best of 1.87m.

Sophie Upton, of St Augustine's Catholic College, Trowbridge, finished fourth in the inter girls' pole vault and Yasmin Dyer, of John of Gaunt School, Trowbridge, finished ninth in the same event. Both girls met the national standard.