CHARD youngster Liam Biddlecombe is aiming high at this week’s UK School Games in Wales, with discus gold and a championship record on the agenda.

The 16-year-old (pictured) returned from last year’s event with a silver medal to declare after registering a best throw of 49.22m at the four-day multisport event designed to create a legacy whereby young people of all ages and abilities can aspire to compete in sport.

But 12 months on and with a personal best of 54.24m, set on the way to gold at the UKA Jumps & Throws Festival in Birmingham in July, the Yeovil AC star has set his sights on upgrading silver to gold at the Cardiff International Stadium.

And the Holyrood Community School pupil revealed it’s not just gold he is targeting this week but Curtis Griffith Parker’s championship best of 58.25m set in 2007.

“I’m really looking forward to the event and it should be a really good few days of competition,” said Biddlecombe – who will compete for the South-West of England.

“I went to the event last year and managed to get a silver medal which I was really happy with because I was one of the youngest ones there.

“I’ve got some quite big aims this year and would love to go there, get a gold medal and also break the championship record.

“It will be hard but I’m training really well and working very hard so hopefully I should be in the right shape to do well in Wales.

“My main goal though is to try and throw over 56m and get up in the rankings for next year and keep going the way I have been.”

Last year the teenager missed out on gold by just over a metre with Zane Duquemin, who is 18 months Biddlecombe’s senior, topping the podium with a throw of 50.33m.

But after a busy year working with coach Nigel Bevan – who competed at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona – and fresh from the inspiration of watching Jessica Ennis and Phillips Idowu claim gold at the World Championships, Biddlecombe is confident of a major improvement.

“My coach Nigel Bevan and I have been working on a lot of different things this year and the improvements have been massive,” he added “It was awesome watching the World Championships and seeing all the British athletes do so well.

“Hopefully I can finish the year on a high and go one better than last year and pickup the gold at the Schools Games.”

■ THE Youth Sport Trust is working to enhance physical education (PE) and sporting opportunities for young people.

Funding through the Department of Culture,Media and Sport has been awarded through Legacy Trust UK, to develop the UK School Games each year until 2011. For more information follow the link below.