Young athletes from a leading North Yorkshire prep school ran and swam their way to success after scooping the winners’ trophy in their first-ever biathlon competition.
Both the Under 10 and Under 11 girls’ teams from Belmont Grosvenor School on the outskirts of Harrogate were triumphant at the Yorkshire Schools Biathlon Championships, run by Pentathlon UK.
The girls teams beat off tough competition from hundreds of schoolchildren from across the region at the event held at Queen Margaret’s School at York.
Nick Wield, swimming co-ordinator at the ‘outstanding’ co-educational prep school, said he was extremely proud of all the Year 5 and Year 6 athletes from Belmont Grosvenor who had taken part in the competition.
Belmont Grosvenor School, based at Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, runs a weekly biathlon club for pupils, as well as a wide range of other after and before-school sports and activity clubs.
Mr Wield said:
I felt so proud of all the children involved. This was the first biathlon competition that we have competed in and to have two of our teams take the titles is a great achievement.
Everyone had a great time at the competition – we are hoping to enter more next season and have some more success.
A total of 16 schools competed in The Yorkshire Schools Biathlon Championships. After a 50m swim, the youngsters had to complete an 800m run.
Members of the two winning Belmont Grosvenor teams will discover next month (NOV) if they have qualified for the national finals, being held in Solihull, Birmingham.
Belmont Grosvenor School, along with its Magic Tree Nursery, caters for children from three months to 11 years. Set in 20 acres of grounds just three miles from Harrogate, the school was rated ‘outstanding’ in a recent inspection.
