BRITISH Athletics chiefs have given their backing to Trowbridge high jumper Tom Gale as a potential future international athlete, writes KEVIN FAHEY.

The 16-year-old John of Gaunt School student has been selected for the 2016 Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence, which has been developed to ensure top young athletes receive the support and training they need to succeed in elite sport.

“This came totally out of the blue and I had no idea about it at all,” said Gale.

“It is a massive honour and I am looking forward to seeing what is involved.”

Gale’s summer season saw him win the Wiltshire and South West Schools’ titles and the Midland Counties U17s title and improved his personal best by 10 centimetres to 1.96m to go equal ninth in the UK rankings.

“Initially Tom will have to go to Loughborough University for a couple of sessions but otherwise all the help will be delivered locally,” said father Mark.

“He will get access to sports psychology, nutrition and how to work with the media among other things.’’ Only recently Gale was awarded a Sports Scholarship grant from Wiltshire Council’s Funding Future Olympians and Paralympians programme.

l FOR the second time in a month Ruth Barnes broke her personal best to claim victory in the Swindon 10k.

The 37-year-old member of Avon Valley Runners from Bradford on Avon clocked 35mins 32secs to carve 24 seconds off the time she set when winning the inaugural Grittleton 10k last month, which clipped six seconds off her previous best.