-
AllActivities Age Concern Anytime Fitness Gym Art Beauty Beer Of The Week Blog Business C2C Care Care Home Chalkwell Beach Charity Children Christmas Cinema City Status Cliffs Pavilion Cliffs Pavilion Cliffs Pavilion Review Cocktail Recipes College Community Competition Competitions Construction Coronation Coronavirus Covid 19 Dannielle Emery Design Easter Education Emma Smith Employment Emsella Chair Environment Essex Police Essex Police News Events Family Fun Fashion Festival Film Finance Fitness Food Food & Drink Football Fresh Face Pillow Company Gardening Hair & Beauty Halloween Harp Havens Hopsice Havens Hospice Havens Hospice Havens Hospice Press Release Havens Hospices Havens Hospices Havens Hospices News Health & Beauty Health & Fitness Historicaleigh History Holidays Housing Indian Indirock Indirock Jubilee Karen Harvey Conran Kids Kids Blogs Kids Competitions Kids Reviews Lady McAdden Legal Legal Eagle Leigh Folk Festival Leigh Library Leigh On Sea Leigh On Sea Finds Leigh Road Leigh Striders Leigh Town Council Leigh Town Council Press Release Leigh on Sea Leigh on Sea Sounds Leigh on sea Folk Festival Leigh on sea Town Council Leigh on sea news Lifestyle Little Red Panto LoS Shop London London Southend Airport London Southend Airport Los Shop Marathon Melinda Giles Mortgage Angel blog Mortgages Motherofalloutings Mughal Dynasty Mughal Dynasty blog Music My Mortgage Angel MyLoS NHS News News Newsletter Offers Other Outfit Of The Week Palace Theatre Parenting Parking Picture Of The Week Pier Politics Press Release Professional Property Property Of The Week RSPCA Ray Morgan Re:loved Recipes Recycling Restaurant Restaurant Review Restaurants Review Roads Rotary Club Royal Hotel Royal Hotel Southend Royal Visit Schools Seafront Shopping Show & Music Reviews Show Review Show Reviews Show Up Productions Shows & Music Shows & Music Review Shows & Music Reviews Southend Southend Airport Southend Airport Press Release Southend Airport Press Release Southend Borough Council Press Release Southend City Council Southend City Council Southend City Council Blog Southend City Council News Southend City Council Press Southend City Council Press Release Southend City Council Press Release Southend City Council blog Southend Council Press Release Southend Hospital Southend In Sight Southend In Sight Press Release Southend on Sea Southend on Sea City Council Press Release Southend on Sea City Council press release Southend on Sea city Council Press Release Southend on sea City Council Press Release Sport The Mortgage Mum Theatre Theatre Blog Theatre Review Theatre Review Theatre Reviews Transport Travel Village Green Volunteer Weddings What's On Whats On blog c2c news shopping
Well Done Annie Last - 8th place
British mountain-biker Annie Last has secured a place at the Olympic Games with a top-10 finish at the World Cup event in France on Sunday.
The 21-year-old from Bakewell finished eighth in La Bresse, ensuring she will be GB's first female mountain-biker to compete at an Olympics since 2000.
Last will be the only GB rider in the mountain-bike discipline this summer.
"It was a really tough race, but I was really pleased to do so well in my last qualifier," said Last.
"It's great that now that box is ticked, I can focus on preparing for the Games."
The rankings will be confirmed on Wednesday and the official Team GB selection announced on 13 June.
While other nations have had up to three riders scoring qualification points, Last has shouldered the burden of qualifying an Olympic place for Great Britain.
"Instead of being able to pick some races that I want to train for, I've had to just race lots," she said.
"It's good to get plenty of race experience, but it's meant that when I might be better to have a weekend off, I've been travelling around chasing points."
Last has had her best season to date, with three top-10 World Cup finishes and, more significantly, a recent victory in the new women's World Cup Eliminator event in Belgium.
"It was the first time I've stood at the top of a world-class podium and had the national anthem played. I guess that gives you a taste of what you can achieve and so it gives you a confidence boost going forward."
Last was just 19 when her Olympic qualification process began, so reaching London 2012 did not always feel like a possibility.
"Three years ago, I wasn't really thinking about making it to the Olympics. Now, I want to do everything I can to be in my best shape for the Games, so I'll be able to do my country proud."
Last is hoping that representing her country on the purpose-built Hadleigh Farm course this summer will give her the chance to prove how challenging the sport really is.
"I guess the Olympics is a chance for more people to see what the sport is all about, and hopefully they'll be inspired to have a go or see more races."
Last falls into the under-23 racing category but opted to race in the women's elite World Cup events throughout the two-year qualification process for the Games.
ADD A COMMENT
Note: If comment section is not showing please log in to Facebook in another browser tab and refresh.