REDDITCH youngster Antony Madkins hopes to follow in the foosteps of the town’s very own Sochi Winter Olympic heroine Charlotte Gilmartin.

The ten-year-old is bound for the British Short Track Speed Skating Championships after setting a time of 46.4 seconds over 333 metres in Solihull.

That means he will be coming up against the country’s best in Nottingham on the weekend of May 25 and 26 in the junior E category.

Antony will compete in the 222m, 333m and 500m events after achieving the qualifying times for all three events.

The youngster is a member of the Mohawks Ice Racing Club (MIRC), the same club as Charlotte Gilmartin, who competed in her first Olympics representing Great Britain earlier in the year.

Gilmartin’s fellow Olympians Jon Eley and Richard Shoebridge were also members MIRC.

Antony is currently being coached by Vancover 2010 Olympic athlete Tom Iveson and is a member of the National Ice skating Association of Great Britain.

His success is even more impressive because he only took up the sport four months ago, when he attended his first lesson in Solihull. Antony’s grandfather – Peter Madkins, who was a member of Mohawks in the 1950s – spotted his talent when he saw him inline skating at a local roller disco.

Anthony made a fine start to his fledgling career by winning an open novice competition, beating far more experienced skaters than himself.

Dad Phillip Madkins said: “The coaches down at Solihull have been amazed at how quickly Antony has picked up the sport.

“John Eley came down and coached him as well and his ultimate ambition is to represent Great Britain at a future Winter Olympics.”