Ten to watch in 2004

Shelley Rudman (Bobsleigh)

RUDMAN is hoping for a successful 2004 on the ice after successfully winning herself financial backing earlier this year.

In September she qualified for the Great Britain development squad to take a step closer to her dream of competing at the Olympics.

The trials at the University of Bath were the focus of the 22-year-old skeleton bobsleighing rookie's entire year.

After passing a variety of tests she was accepted for the squad and will now be financially backed for the next year.

At the end of October she spent three weeks training and competing in Lillehammer, Norway, before returning to England for five days.

Rudman, whose parents live in Pewsey, then left for Canada two spent two months in Calgary practising before returning home for Christmas.

"Getting into the develop squad was the main focus of my year," she said. "Going to Canada and America was excellent and it gave me a chance to compete at altitude. This year I want to make the top ten rankings in the Europa Cup and possibly qualify for the Americas Cup. "Long term I want to make it to the World Cup in the next two years and the Olympics in 2010."

Tom Reed (Judo)

JUDO prodigy Tom Reed is hoping for a year of success on the mat as he continues to chase his dream of competing in the Olympic Games.

The 17-year-old from Devizes took up judo ten years ago after being inspired by his uncle, Robert Wixon, who was a member of the Great Britain senior squad. This year he was handed the chance to train at Bath University Sports Academy.

The first dan black belt now trains with Devizes Judo Club four days a week but will now also spend a day each week training with more experienced fighters at Bath.

Reed, a first dan black belt, is a member of the Great Britain under-18 cadet squad and under-20 squad.

He said: "My judo has been really progressing quite well in the last few years and hopefully that will continue."

He plans to go to watch next year's Olympics in Athens where he hopes the atmosphere will spur him on to fight at the Olympics. His coach at Devizes Razz Hopkins believes Reed has the commitment to make the British 2008 Olympic team or even the 2012 games.

Tom Bridewell (Motorbike racing)

TEENAGE motorcyclist Tom Bridewell has had his most successful season to date and is looking to step things up again in 2004.

The 15-year-old from Devizes made a name for himself in the 125cc GP series with a win and a number of consistently good finishes to leave him fourth in the championship standings.

"It's been a really good year for me," he said. "This is definitely the best season I have had. When we went to Silverstone and qualified fourth we didn't really know what was going on because it was so unbelievable."

During the close season Tom and his father Marcus will be weighing up his options for the year ahead.

"We will have to see what happens and whether anybody phones up wanting me to ride for them," Tom continued. You've got to start somewhere and this is the start of my racing career I suppose. I would like to do the lot and go all the way to the World GP. You never know what could happen and I've got a chance."

Lauren Cook (Tennis)

BUDDING tennis ace Lauren Cook capped her year by meeting British number one Tim Henman and hopes it will spur her towards another successful year.

Lauren, 12, from Pewsey, got to meet her hero after winning her age group competition in the 2003 Robinson's Challenge. She is a member of Pewsey Tennis Club and also has individual training with Becki Hawkins at Devizes Tennis Club.

Her win in the Robinson's Challenge came hot on the heels of her triumph in the 12 and under section of the local Dreweatt Neate tournament at Easter, runner-up spot in the Wiltshire county finals at 14 and under, and winner of the Highworth Tennis Championships at 12 and under.

Lauren said: "I first played swing ball in the back garden and enjoyed so I joined my local club. I enjoy my tennis and will see how far it goes. Hopefully I will be able to use Tim's advice to improve my game in the next year."

Olly Allen (Speedway)

SWINDON Robins speedway star Olly Allen is hoping to make his mark on the Elite League next year and try to break into the England senior team.

The Norwich-born 21-year-old completed his fifth season with the Blunsdon outfit this year and is pleased to be involved with the promotion from the Premier League.

He said: "I was pleased that under the new promotion they were moving up into the Elite League.

"The chance to be part of the Swindon Elite set-up was an opportunity I could not miss."

Allen has also signed again for his Swedish club next season and will be competing against the top riders over there as well.

"In Sweden I rode well. There was far more pressure as you were riding for a team place," he added.

"So I have no fears of moving up with Swindon and being able to hold my team place."

Allen would eventually like to break into the England senior team.

"I want to be able to push my way into the England senior team and I want to qualify for the Grand Prix series," he continued. "To do that you have to be in the Elite League all of the time."

Emma Lambourne (Athletics)

THIS year saw Emma Lambourne hailed as one of Wiltshire's most promising young athletes and if her form is anything to go by 2004 could be just as good for her.

The twelve-year-old was given her first national vest at the Home Nations Cross Country Championship in Dublin in April. She finished a fine ninth out of 32 runners in the junior girls section to help England to a convincing overall triumph over Scotland, Wales and hosts Ireland.

The talented youngster then turned her attentions to the summer athletics season, in particular her favoured 1,500m event, running for Ridgeway School in Wroughton and the Swindon Harriers.

In June she broke the junior girls' 1,500m record, which had stood since 1985, in the Wiltshire Schools' Track and Field Championships. She clocked 4mins 44.7secs taking 2.7secs off the old mark.

Last month she ran for Ridgeway at the Swindon Schools Cross Country Championships and led the way by winning the Junior Girls' title for the second year in a row.

In 2004 she will be looking to continue her success for both Ridgeway School, Swindon Harriers, and in particular when she dons an England vest.

Tom Goody (Football)

TEENAGE Wroughton striker Tom Goody has taken the Mid-Wiltshire League by storm this season and hopes he can continue to climb the football ladder in 2004. The 16-year-old was thrown into the deep end when he was introduced as a substitute against Melksham with his team trailing 2-1.

But he scored with virtually his first touch and went on to make a Wayne Rooney-like impact with six goals in four games.

He went for trials with the Wiltshire County Under-18s in September but missed out on selection.

But now he is settled in the Wroughton side he is hoping for a good second half of the season.

"When I came on for the first time as a sub I wasn't nervous. I just wanted to get the ball down and play and to get a goal was a real bonus," he said. "At first it was a lot harder than I expected but I did much better than I expected.

"I am definitely looking forward to the rest of the season and hopefully I can score a lot more goals."

William McKay (Golf)

YOUNG golfer William McKay capped a superb year of golf by returning triumphant from the world famous St Andrews links course in October.

William, 11, of Manningford Bruce, near Pewsey, had travelled to Scotland to play in the PGA Wee Wonders Open Golf Championship 2003. Having become West of England champion William then took on children representing the other English regions as well as Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

At St Andrews he played two superb qualifying rounds and was actually seeded second for the whole competition.

In the end he almost finished third but one unlucky whole saw achieve a superb fifth place out the 72 juniors who had entered.

He started playing golf at the age of five. At nine he had a handicap of 24 and has now got it down to 13.

He said: "The whole year was great but getting to the finals in Scotland was the icing on the cake. Now I want to continue playing for Wiltshire under-14s, win my age group championship and retain the Phillimore Trophy at Upavon for the third time.

"I have also set myself the target of getting my handicap down to single figures in the next 18 months."

Rob Sunderland (Motorsport)

RACING driver Rob Sunderland has enjoyed a lot success in his short time in the sport and hopes he take things up a level next season.

Sunderland, 22, of Springfield Farm, Yatton Keynell, grew up a stone's throw away from the Castle Combe circuit but did not get into the sport competitively until he graduated from university.

He got a grounding in racing at Castle Combe before entering the Southern Formula Ford series, where after a slow start he rapidly improved.

He rounded off last season in style in front of his home support at Castle Combe. After qualifying third on the grid, one place ahead of the championship leader, he went on to finish second and secure third place in the overall championship standings.

He is now focusing on getting enough money behind him to fund him through the National Formula Ford series in March. "I think I can compete at the top end of the National series and I wouldn't try for it if I thought I would be making up the numbers in the middle of the pack," he said.

Ben Burch (Rowing)

2003 was definitely a year to forget for young sportsman Ben Burch but he is hoping 2004 will hold more luck.

The 23-year-old, from Crofton, near Marlborough, was the president of the victorious Oxford Boat Race crew two years ago and helped the Great Britain eight to a respectable sixth spot at the World Championships in Seville in September 2002

But he picked up a back injury in November 2002 and spent a year trying to shake it off before calling it quits on his rowing career. He missed his country's outings at the 2003 World Cup and World Championship regattas and faced a race against time to be fully fit in time for the Olympic Games in Athens next year.

He had physio and treatment through the summer and hoped to be fit by November but it never happened. Now he is looking to continue his sports career along a different avenue.

"Things didn't work for me and because I was out for so long it didn't really come as a shock to have to retire from rowing," he said.

"My back is okay for everyday life but it just wouldn't stand-up to rowing training. I'm now considering what to do next. I might get a real job or maybe go into sailing which I did before rowing."