A Shropshire teenager has been chosen to represent Great Britain in the European championships for biathle – in which competitors have to run, swim and run again.

Tom Everett, 15, of Longhills Road, Church Stretton, trains with the Shrewsbury Athletic Club and swims with the Ludlow Swimming Club.

He will fly to Italy in July to represent Great Britain in the sport – which is a sub sport of modern pentathlon.

He was picked after he scored a good rating at the British series held in Millfield, Somerset, about four weeks ago.

“I’m really looking forward to the European championship. It is a 1km run, a 200m swim and then a 1km run,” he said.

“The swim is normally in the sea but I train in the pool. It’s quite different in the sea because it’s cold and salty and quite hard to get your breath when you start swimming.

“I got into the sport through modern pentathlon and I started that through running and swimming and I put the sports together.”

Tom said he preferred running as it was more social and he met more people. I run with Shrewsbury Athletic Club once a week and I do my own training,” he said.

“I’m hopefully going to get even better results and try and get a European title and qualify for the world series, which is in August.”

Mum Jane Everett said she was very proud of her son.

She said: “He’s very athletic and he likes all his sports.”