Two Burnham-On-Sea girls have been competing in the National Biathle Championships in Manchester this week.
Catherine Tolley (11) and Elizabeth Tolley (12) took part in their respective age group categories.
Biathle is a continuous event of a run, then an open water swim followed by another run.
Distances vary according to the age category of competitors, with both girls running 500 meters at the beginning and end of the race with a swim distance of either 50 or 100 meters.
The competition served not only as the National Championships but also as the qualifying selection event for the Great Britain team to participate in the World Biathle Championships in Cyprus later this year.
Both girls have already represented Great Britain in the sport this year, competing at the European Championships in Portugal in July.
Both girls, pictured at the event, performed well in their respective races with Catherine finishing 15th overall and Elizabeth finishing 7th.
Elizabeth was the third GB athlete across the line in her age category, with her performance contributing to her winning a team silver medal.
Pictured at the medal ceremony with her two other GB team team mates are the gold medalists (Portugal) and the Bronze medal winners (Russia).
Competition was fierce at the National Championships was fierce with only six places available for each age category in the GB team.
Catherine, a member of the Burnham Swim and Sports Triathlon Academy, in just her first season racing, fought hard to secure 11th place in the under 12 age group.
After the race she said: “That was hard, but brilliant. Some of the girls are a lot older than me and it is quite rough in the swim with everyone trying to get ahead. I can’t wait until next season though.”
Elizabeth, also a member of the Burnham Swim and Sport Triathlon Academy, at 12 racing in the under 14 category, also found it tough but delivered a season’s best time, a performance that saw her finish in sixth place overall in the National Championships, securing one of the prestigious places with the GB team for the 2013 World Championships.
She said: “I was quite nervous for this race. To come 6th in my age group is brilliant for me. I enjoyed the race in the European finals in Portugal and getting a silver medal but I’ve now qualified for the World Champs which makes me feel even better. I couldn’t believe it when they told me. I was pretty excited I can tell you.”
The Biathle World Championships will be held in Limassol in Cyprus over the weekend of 5th and 6th October.
