WILTSHIRE hurdler Ophelia Pye has enjoyed an outstanding summer on the world stage.

‘The demon dipper from Devizes’ claimed gold and smashed multiple records at the European Under-18 championships as a solo athlete before being part of the Great Britain team which scooped bronze at the Under-20s World Championships a few weeks’ later.

The 17-year-old – who trains at Marlborough Athletics Club and Dauntsey’s school track in Devizes – began an incredible few weeks by claiming personal records on three consecutive days of the European U18 Championships in Jerusalem, Israel.

Within those three races – the heats, the semi-final, and the final – Pye broke the British record twice and ultimately came home with a gold medal which was secured thanks to a Championship record to boot.

After the final, Pye said: “It was a bit scary at first, everyone did seem to set off quite fast – particularly on the back straight, I was worried I was going to get left behind.

“But I stuck to our race plan and managed to battle it out and in the end and just about got it!”

The achievement was all the more impressive given Pye was ranked fifth in Europe at the time. Two weeks later, she was handed a shock call-up for the GB squad at the U20 World Championships in Columbia.

The 17-year-old made it through the semi-finals of the solo event before running the fastest of the third-leg times in the 4x400m event for her country as GB landed bronze behind sprinting powerhouses Jamaica and the US.

Discussing an incredible couple of months, Pye said: “It was definitely a shock, this summer.

“Everything has definitely kicked off a lot faster than I’d anticipated. I don’t know if it will continue going quite so well, but I’d like to think so if I carry on as I have done.

“But I’m just very grateful really. It’s definitely been a curve-ball, and hopefully we’ll manage this well moving forward.”

The highly-promising athlete is coached by 1968 Olympic gold medallist in the 400m hurdles, David Hemery, and holds ambitions of landing a scholarship at Harvard University.

Pye is aiming to compete at the World and European U20 Championships again too, after she completes her winter training and A-levels.

Pye said: “Because I’m only 17, I’m quite lucky in the sense I will hopefully get the chance to compete at the U20 championships a couple more times yet.

“But this year, it’s about kick-starting my winter training and staying on top of things, academically. It’s going to be a little bit full on, but I’m hopeful I can stay on top of things.”