JERSEY Spartan hurdler Sophie Twinam has turned down a chance to try out for this year’s UK senior Olympic athletics team.

Fellow hurdler Peter Irving will be attending the GB trials in Birmingham this weekend but Twinam (18) will instead be going to the English Schools Athletics Championships on the advice of her coach, athletics development officer Andrew Winnie, who feels that as an U20 athlete she may be ‘out of her depth’.

He said: ‘Realistically Sophie would be unlikely to get in the squad as she is still an U20, and this will be the selection for the senior team. Jersey athlete and 400m hurdler Peter Irving has also been invited to the trials, which are being held in Birmingham this weekend.

Twinam will instead be part of the 12-strong Channel Islands squad heading to Gateshead. Also in the team travelling to the English Schools Championships tomorrow are Gemma Dawkins, Becky Slater, Kathryn Rothwell, Lucy Crossman, Jenna Murphy, Felicity Johnson-Deeley, Nicola Milner, Amy Dingle, Shadine Duquemin and Zane Duquemin.