Olympic medallist Kathar-ine Merry is predicting a golden future for Wands-worth's Shamilla Simms after a sparkling performance at the Norwich Union Sportshall UK final in Birmingham last weekend.

The Graveney School pupil came second in the two-lap race - missing out on gold by just a 10th of a second.

And Merry, who took bronze in the 2000 Olympics, expects Simms' career to keep going from strength-to-strength.

She said: "Shamilla has performed really well and it is always a massive confidence boost for any youngster to win a medal.

And Simms, 13, who also claimed bronze in the speed bounce event, has now set her sights on emulating the success of her hero - Dame Kelly Holmes.

She said: "I have always looked up to Kelly Holmes. "I would love to do what she did because athletics is a sport I really enjoy.

"The competition was really tough so I was delighted to win a medal."

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.