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Shana tipped for stardom by Olympian

26/ 4/2007

OLYMPIC medallist Katharine Merry is predicting a golden future for Middleton's Shana Parker after her sparkling podium performance in the Sportshall UK finals held in Birmingham.

The 13-year-old, who was competing for Oxfordshire, followed in the footsteps of British track and field stars Mark Lewis-Francis, Kelly Sotherton and Denise Lewis by medalling in the national competition.

She finished second in the long jump final with a leap of 2.29m.

Merry believes there will be even more to come from the Chenderit School pupil in the coming years.

She said: "Shana has performed really well and will have benefited enormously from the experience. People like Mark Lewis-Francis might not have won his Olympic gold if it was not for Sportshall.

"It is a great stepping stone and I am gutted I never had an experience like this when I was younger.

"Sportshall is renowned for producing some great Olympic athletes and I am sure we will see some of these kids winning medals for Britain in years to come."

The Sportshall indoor series involved 12 regional finals for under-13 and under-15s athletes, with the country's elite teenagers qualifying for the Birmingham showdown.

Parker now has her eyes focussed on following in the footsteps of her idol Kelly Holmes.

She said: "I have always looked up to Kelly Holmes because of her great achievements and now I want to win an Olympic gold like her. It has been an amazing experience, and competing at a venue like the National Indoor Arena was incredible.

"My mum came to watch me and is really proud of me."