A LETCHWORTH GC teenager is the 15th best junior short track ice speed skater in the world. Hopes of a top four finish for Chenai Burnett-Flack were dashed by an accidental collision at the Junior World Short Track Championships in Miercurea Ciuc, Romania

A LETCHWORTH GC teenager is the 15th best junior short track ice speed skater in the world.

Hopes of a top four finish for Chenai Burnett-Flack were dashed by an accidental collision at the Junior World Short Track Championships in Miercurea Ciuc, Romania.

The 17-year-old (shown above), who studies on a sports course at North Hertfordshire College in Hitchin, was the only female selected for the team.

The other junior girls on the national squad, which is based in Nottingham, did not meet the qualifying times.

Chenai achieved the times in Italy in November where she won the 500m title, while Great Britain's girls also won the relay the same weekend.

At the junior world event - her biggest competition to date - it was all plain sailing as she comfortably got through the preliminaries and heats.

But in the quarters, Chenai clashed blades with a skater from Japan and she then fell with no edge on the last lap.

She ended up coming 15th in the world, a disappointment as both Chenai and her national coach felt she was able to make the final.

Chenai still has another year as a junior so will be looking to improve on this placing in 2007.

Great Britain only qualified two women for this month's Winter Olympics in Turin, which is a shame as Chenai is seeded third woman in the country!

She is a TASS 2012 funded athlete which is sponsorship aimed at helping athletes prepare for the Winter Olympics in 2010 Vancouver and London 2012.

Around 100 athletes from various sports, both winter and summer, receive the funding.