Talented trio compete

THREE girls have been showing off their sporting potential recently. Abbie MacKinnon-Austin and Faye Barnard, students at Hitchin Girls School, competed in the Great Britain Biathle Championships at Salford, Manchester. Biathle is a continuous form of bi

THREE girls have been showing off their sporting potential recently.

Abbie MacKinnon-Austin and Faye Barnard, students at Hitchin Girls' School, competed in the Great Britain Biathle Championships at Salford, Manchester.

Biathle is a continuous form of biathlon, being a run, swim in open water, and a final run.

Abbie (pictured left), a talented runner coached by Paula Radcliffe's former coach at Bedford, recently joined Hatfield Swimming Club to enhance her swim skills.

Faye is a member of the British Triathlon World Class Programme. She also swims at Hatfield in the national squad with the other local qualifier Cara Purvis, a student at St Francis College in Letchworth.

All three ran confidently, stamped home their superiority in the swim section, and then finished the final run with a flourish to claim their international places in their respective age groups.

Swim coach Dave Barnard, Faye's dad, said: "I was very impressed with all the performances, especially Abbie who has only recently joined the county's top flight of swimmers, and whose hard work has paid dividends for her. She has a great sporting future."

Ironically, the world championships are also being held in Manchester this year.

Last year the championships were in Monaco, where Faye's elder sister Natalie won the bronze medal.