TWO young athletes from Barry have been selected to compete at the 2017 School Games National Finals, which begin at Loughborough University at the end of this month.

Bradley Newman - who has recovered from a broken foot to take part in the games - and Kyle Booth, both 16, will be representing Wales in swimming.

The School Games are an integrated multi-sport event for the UK’s most talented school-age athletes, set to take place between August 31 and September 3.

Both have pedigree at a national level, with Bradley, a student at Radyr Comprehensive School, having finished fourth in the 200m breaststroke event at the 2016 British Championships. Barry Comprehensive pupil Kyle was the winner of that event and also represented Team GB at the European Youth Olympic Festival earlier this year.

The pair currently train with the City of Cardiff Swimming Club.

Around 1,600 athletes will compete across 12 sports at the School Games, seven of which include disability disciplines. The four-day event is supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England and is delivered by the Youth Sport Trust.

Bradley and Kyle will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of some of Britain’s biggest sporting stars who have competed at the School Games, before going on to senior international success.

Previous competitors include Paralympic champions Hannah Cockroft, Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock, Olympic champion Adam Peaty, heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and GB sprinter Adam Gemili.

The School Games have often been the springboard for athletes of the future: 56 of the 382 athletes representing Team GB at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio competed at the School Games.

Bradley and Kyle will be living in a dedicated Athletes’ Village on the Loughborough University campus, taking part in an opening ceremony and performing in front of huge crowds of spectators.

Ali Oliver, the Youth Sport Trust's chief executive officer, said: "The School Games National Finals provide a great opportunity for talented young athletes like Bradley and Kyle.

"Competitors get a real taste of what it’s like to be part of a world-class sporting event at the amazing sporting venues of Loughborough University, and the event is a great way to see our future sporting champions in action today."

Tickets for the event are available at ticketsource.co.uk/2017schoolgames.