Taekwando terrier Ryan Simms has won his second consecutive British Open Championships title - despite giving away four years on his rivals.

The eight-year-old from Wistow, near Selby, who weighs in at just 20kilogrammes, was fighting at the Under-13s age group in the U25kg weight class.

Yet despite being at such a disadvantage, he won through and hammered a French youngster 14-2 in the final to take the gold and complete a notable double having won the U10s' U22kg category last year.

The Barlby Bridge School pupil (pictured below) is one grade below a black belt and fights out of the Ultimate Taekwando club in Doncaster run by 16-time British champion and former Olympic silver medallist Kathy Barwell.

Proud mum Nicola said he only took up the sport in October 2001 but has obviously taken a shine to it.

"His grandma used to take him to taekwando for a couple of hours on a Saturday just for something to do," she explained.

"He had had enough of football and started going a couple of times a week and now he's training up to four times a week. He's really enjoying it."

Simms, Selby's young sportsman of the year, is now planning to compete in a major Open competition in Germany at the end of the year, at which many of Europe's top experts will be competing.

However, as he can not receive funding below the age of ten, he is in need of sponsorship. Anyone who can help can contact Nicola Simms on 07870 347030.

Updated: 10:53 Saturday, July 26, 2003