FOUR budding East Lancashire-based athletes have returned from the 2016 School Games with a clutch of medals between them.

Olivia Broome from Chorley, Darwen’s Jacob Roberts, Clitheroe Royal Grammar School pupil Abbie Hampshire and Benjamin Martin - who swims for Pioneer 79 Swimming Club - all starred at the prestigious event.

The awesome foursome, who were all representing the North West, were among 1,600 school age elite athletes who took part in the annual event that was held at Loughborough University and Sheffield.

During the four-day event, pupils took part in 12 different sports, seven of which included disability disciplines.

Hampshire led the medal haul with two golds and silver. but the para swimming star admitted it was a complete surprise to have done so well.

While the majority of action took place in Loughborough, the swimming was held at Ponds Forge in Sheffield and Hampshire swum to glory in the mixed class (MC) 50m freestyle, shared gold with Toni Shaw in the MC 100m freestyle and picked up a silver in the MC 200m individual medley.

Hampshire, who is a member of Skipton Swimming Club, said she could have barely asked for a better start to the new season.

“I am happy, when I received my medals it was great,” said the 16-year-old. “I was so elated when I looked up and saw my name.

“I did not expect to do so well. I was racing against some awesome athletes and so I was not sure how I would do.

“I just wanted to go as fast as I can. The 50m freestyle is only one length but to get there first made me so happy. I wanted to get a medal, but gold is great.

“To win golds is a great start to my season and makes me so happy. It gives me a lot of confidence going forward.”

Martin also starred in the pool after winning gold and silver medals.

The 16-year-old competed in 100m freestyle, 50m freestyle, and 4x100m freestyle.

He clinched gold in the ‘splash and dash’ event in a time of 24.30secs, then won silver in the 100m freestyle with a time of 54.21secs

And he also finished in fifth place in the 4x100m freestyle with a combined time of 3mins 37.68 secs overall and 53.70secs on his split.

Roberts achieved his pre-School Games hopes when he won a medal in the hammer.

Prior to travelling down to Loughborough, the Blackburn College student, said: “I’ve worked hard to achieve my goals that I set out at the beginning of the year.

“One was to be selected for the School Games and another was to get on the podium at the games.”

And he did just that by winning silver with an impressive throw of 68.43m.

Broome, 15, admitted she was ‘excited and proud’ to have been selected to take part in the Games, and she has every reason to be after winning gold and silver medal.

The St Michael’s Academy pupil represented the North West in the Ambulant Shot and Ambulant Discus.

She threw a distance of 7.41m to win the discus, while a throw of 3.86m was good enough for silver in the shot put.

The School Games is supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust. And with 15 of Team GB’s 67 medals at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games having taken part in the School Games, it has proven to be a great introduction for the stars of the future.

n The 2016 School Games is supported by a range of partners including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Sport England, Youth Sport Trust, Department of Health and British Paralympic Association.The Games took place in Loughborough from 1-4 September 2016. Visit www.2016schoolgames.com for more information.