ELTON High School pupil Jack Chamberlain is relishing the opportunity to represent England when the British School Games get under way at Loughborough University today.

The 15-year-old gymnast has been selected for the England team to compete against the rest of the home nations in the four-day multi-sports event.

“With so much coverage of the Olympics I am looking forward to taking part in my first multi-sports event,” he said.

“I will be staying in the games village for four days and have the opportunity to meet elite sports people from a load of other sports, so I can’t wait."

Paul Hockwart, who coaches Jack at Bury Gymnastics Club, feels it is deserved recognition for his performances throughout the year. 

He said: “Jack has had a busy and successful year since being promoted on to British Gymnastics's junior top squad at the beginning of the year.

"This included competing for Team GB at the Budapest International competition in May and coming third in the English National Championships in Loughborough at the same venue being used for the School Games."

More than 1,600 athletes will compete across 12 sports at the Games which are supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust.

Chamberlain will be following in the footsteps of some of Britain’s biggest sporting stars, who have competed at the event before going on to senior international success.

They include Olympic gold medallist and world-record breaking swimmer Adam Peaty, Paralympic champions Hannah Cockroft, Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and GB sprinter Adam Gemili.

The experience for young athletes is designed to mimic the Olympics, with all competitors performing in front of thousands of people, staying in an athletes village for the duration of the tournament and invited to attend spectacular opening and closing ceremonies.

There is a full education programme for the athletes running throughout the event, which aims to give them an insight into life at the very highest level of sporting competition.

Proud mum Jackie Chamberlain said the School Games have been a goal for Jack since he first heard about it. 

“The way men’s gymnastics is organised in this country makes it very difficult to represent England," she added.

"There are really only two events where an England team usually competes – the Commonwealth Games and the School Games. 

“Jack is very proud to have earned his England shirt.”

Hawkshaw cyclist Corinne Side will also be competing for the England team after being picked our for some stand-out performances this year for Cycle Sport Pendle.

To find out more about the event, visit www.2016schoolgames.com