Williams looks set to be the pick of the UKA Heroes

By David Jordan, Sportsbeat

DOUBLE world youth sprint champion Jodie Williams ensured the 2010 UKA Heroes Project, sponsored by Original Source, launched in style by penning her name into the history books at the Loughborough International last weekend.

FLYING START: Jodie Williams has picked up from where she left off last year with a superb performance in Loughborough last year

The UKA initiative, which was first launched in 2008 and is supported by World Championship bronze medallist Jenny Meadows, includes 15 youngsters expected to challenge for a place in the senior British squad for either London 2012 or the 2016 Olympic Games.     

Williams, who claimed the 100m and 200m titles at last year's World Youth Championships in Italy, immediately justified her place on the scheme in 2010 by winning the 200m in Loughborough in 22.79 seconds - the fourth-quickest time for an under-17 woman in history.

The Herts Phoenix sprinter, like all those selected for the Original Source-funded scheme, will receive financial bursaries to help towards travel expenses, kit, medical support and equipment throughout 2010.

But despite picking up where she left off last season to steal the show in the Midlands, Williams was quick to play down her chances of the conquering the world once more at this year's World Junior Championships in Canada.

"I want to go to the world juniors if I can, so I want to try and make the team and if I make the team then I want to make the final and then I want to just take it from there," said Williams, who will receive two £500 cheques from Original Source this summer, with a further £1000 on offer to the Hero deemed the most successful by UK Athletics.

"I don't think people always realise what a big step up that is because at the world youths I was one of the youngest and yet I'm going up to juniors.

"So for me to be stepping up and facing 19-year-olds is going to be a really big challenge for me and I just have to see how it goes.

"I want to get the experience and see what it is all like and then I would have another chance to go to the world juniors again in 2012 depending on what position I was in.

"I think age-wise there shouldn't be much pressure on me this year because I am one of the youngest athletes."

Williams set a new European youth record on course to taking the 200m title in Loughborough, with her mark bettered at this stage of their careers by only Marion Jones, Raelene Boyle and Chandra Cheeseborough.

The only British athlete to better Williams' 200m mark in the past 12 months was Emily Freeman, who produced a lifetime best 22.64 at the Berlin World Championships last year.

But even though the door appears to be open for the 16-year-old to compete at both the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games, she's in no rush to taste the senior circuit.