A YOUNG York athlete will be going for golden glory later this year, having been picked to compete at the Sydney Paralympics.

Paul Smith, 23, of Yarburgh Way, Badger Hill, has been selected to throw the discus for Great Britain, against the cream of the world's disabled field athletes.

He will fly out with the rest of the GB team in October in readiness for the most prestigious event in disabled athletics, which is being held two weeks after the Sydney Olympics finish.

Smith, a former pupil at Northfields School in Acomb and at Huntington RD Day Centre, began his athletics career after moving to a residential school for the disabled in Mansfield aged 17.

He lived there for three years, during which time he was noticed by British coaches and later selected to represent his country.

Although he has now been on the GB scene for about five years, these Paralympics will be by far the biggest and best competition he has ever taken part in.

Proud mum, Mary, said: "He's been abroad with the GB team before but this is the major one.

"We're absolutely thrilled for him. He's a bit apprehensive about it - I think it's a bit of a shock being picked for the Paralympics and it hasn't sunk in yet.

"He will be hoping to improve his personal best and he will be keen to get a medal but it will be pretty hard against the likes of the Americans and Russians. As long as he does his best, that's the main thing."

Smith has just completed an IT foundation course at York College and will be taking an intermediate GNVQ information and communication technology course starting in September.

Though that course looks set to be interrupted by his trip Down Under, the college is delighted for him and full of admiration for his enthusiasm and determination.

Course tutor Mel Fish said: "Paul is always a winner, always striving to succeed and sees disadvantage as something to simply overcome.

"There is no doubt that he will make up missing time from his studies, even before he leaves for Sydney. We will be watching his progress on the internet."

Meanwhile, York teenager Neil Barnes struck double gold at the BT-sponsored Junior Athletics Championships in Blackpool.

For the 16-year-old athlete returned to his Haxby home in Usher Lane, with two gold medals, plus a silver thrown in for good measure.

Barnes, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was competing at the two-day championships for disabled athletes held at Stanley Park.

A record turn-out of 330 athletes aged between 12 and 20 took part, and such was the standard of athlete on show that in all 34 national records were broken.