Sophie Williams (19818/4)

Winsley fencer Sophie Williams is hoping it will be second time lucky as she bids for international success in April, a year after injury wrecked her dream in the same competition.

Williams, 17, of Millfield School, will represent Great Britain in the Cadet World Championships (under 17s) in Catania, Italy, next month.

She injured her knee in Christmas 2006 and the Cadet World Championships was her first outing since recovering, but a lack of competitive action meant she was not able to perform as she had hoped.

She partially dislocated her knee twice at the beginning of this season in September but is now fit and ready for a crack at success.

Williams said: "Fingers crossed I will be able to do something. I'm not aiming for gold but I definitely want to do a lot better than last year.

"I've got lots of training planned. I'm training in Cornwall and then Hungary, that's where some of the top fencers in the world are."

Williams, who is a member of Bath Sword Club, will also compete at the Junior World Championships (under 20s) for the first time several days after the Cadet event, as well as taking part in the Junior Team event.

The junior and team competitions are also held in Catania and only the top three fencers in Great Britain are selected.

Williams came 29th at an international junior competition in Dourdan, France earlier this season which she said was "a good result for me".

Williams said: "It's very exciting because I'm still a cadet, it's fantastic.

"The cadet worlds are very strong but the junior worlds are a step up from that. Juniors is going to be more for the experience."

Prior to Catania, Williams will compete at the Five Nations competition in Glasgow on Saturday for the first time.

The Five Nations is a senior team event involving England, Wales, Scotland, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Williams, who is ranked number two in Great Britain at junior level, said she dreams of competing at the London Olympics in 2012.

Williams said: "That's quite a way off but it's definitely something I'm aiming for.

"It's definitely something I'm going to work towards because I think being an Olympian is every athlete's dream.

"I'll put all my effort into trying to go but I think it will be really hard."

There are several forms of fencing which have different rules and swords.

Williams competes in the sabre in which the target area is anywhere above the waist, except the back of the head and hands.

Competitors score points by touching their opponent with the tip or side of the sword.

6:15pm Thursday 27th March 2008

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