Olympic medallist Katharine Merry is backing Thornton Heath's Zena Williams to follow in the footsteps of Martyn Rooney after a sparkling podium performance at the Sportshall UK final in Birmingham last weekend.

The 13-year-old Norbury Manor School pupil, who was competing for Surrey, followed in the footsteps of British track star Rooney, who last week won the 2006 AAA's Championship best junior male award, by winning a gold medal at the national competition.

The teenager came first in the vertical jump and Merry is convinced Williams possesses all the raw ammunition to one day make the leap from promising junior to seasoned senior international.

"Sportshall is renowned for producing some great British Olympic athletes like Rooney, Mark Lewis-Francis, Denise Lewis, Kelly Sotherton and Jade Johnson," said Merry, who took 400m bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

"This concept takes the kids on so many different levels and Zena will learn plenty from this experience.

"With a home Olympic Games on the horizon in 2012, there is no better time to inspire the next generation of future medallists and, who knows, maybe Zena could be one of those?"

The Sportshall indoor series involved 12 regional finals for U13 and U15 athletes, with the country's elite teenagers qualifying for the Birmingham showdown last weekend after impressing in a variety of disciplines including sprinting, high jump and shot putt.

And Williams now has her eyes firmly focussed on delivering home success when the Olympic Games finally arrive in London in 2012.

She is a girl on a mission, hell-bent on achieving her ultimate dream - an Olympic medal - after this latest success.

"Kelly Holmes is my hero because she did exactly what I want to do - win Olympic medals," said Williams.

"I'm so excited about the London 2012 Olympics and would love to compete in the high jump and maybe even win a medal.

"This is my third gold medal at Sportshall and, hopefully, this competition will help to further my athletics career."

Meanwhile, Herne Hill Harriers' Khalil Njoya, who is also on the books of Super League club Harlequins RL, took silver in the shot putt.

The 13-year-old from Selhurst School, who also plays rugby for the Croydon Hurricanes, said: "My coach says that maybe the London 2012 Olympics will come too soon for me but after that I want to win medals on the biggest stages of all."

  • As the team behind UK athletics, Norwich Union has trebled its investment in grass roots sport, aiming to engage more than 10 million children in athletics by 2012, demonstrating their support from playground to podium.

For more athletics reports: croydonguardian.co.uk