EASINGWOLD flier Alex Colton has been selected for the North athletics squad that will compete at the 2017 School Games National Finals.

The School Games are a multi-sport event for the UK’s most talented youngsters and start today at Loughborough University and run until Sunday.

Colton, 15, a student at Easingwold School and a member of the Leeds Athletic Club, won triple jump bronze at the English School Championships earlier this year and has a personal best of 13.58 metres.

The four-day event is supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust. About 1,600 athletes will compete across 12 sports at the School Games, seven of which include disability disciplines.

Previous competitors include Paralympic champions Hannah Cockroft, Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock, Olympic champion Adam Peaty, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and GB sprinter Adam Gemili. No fewer than 56 of the 382 athletes representing Team GB at the 2016 Olympics in Rio competed at the School Games.

Colton will live in a dedicated Athletes’ Village on the Loughborough University campus, take part in an opening ceremony and perform in front of huge crowds.

“The School Games National Finals provide a great opportunity for talented young athletes like Alex,” said Ali Oliver, chief executive officer of the Youth Sport Trust.

“Competitors get a real taste of what it’s like to be part of a world-class sporting event at the amazing sporting venues of Loughborough University, and the event is a great way to see our future sporting champions in action today.”