BOLTON middle distance prospect Oriel Hardman is getting stuck into her winter work as she prepares for another successful assault on the track next season.

The 16-year-old took the national under-17s age group by storm last season as she knocked 10 seconds off her 800m personal best and won silver and bronze in the country’s two biggest championships.

Her best time was an outstanding 2mins 7.95secs – just eight seconds outside what she will need to be running to compete at future Olympic Games.

But Hardman, from Edgworth, ran consistently impressive times when she hit a rich vein of form towards the end of the season.

And for a girl who only turned 16 late in the season, her performances showed huge quality and potential. Now she is putting in the hard work over the cross country season to put the strength in her legs for when the track season comes around again next summer.

Despite being a track specialist who, by her own admission, has struggled on the country in the past, she achieved her coach Mike Freary’s target of a top-20 place in the English Cross Country Series race at Liverpool last weekend, finishing 19th in her age group.

“We’re working hard over the winter to give her more strength for when the track season starts,” said Freary. “She had a really good season last season and I’ve set her a target to get her 800m time down again next season, although I wouldn’t expect it to be by so much.”

The Bolton Harrier started the cross country season with a bang with one victory and two second places in the Red Rose league.

Meanwhile, her club-mate Daniel Johnson finished 77th in the under-15s race at Liverpool.

Bolton Harrier athletes also took part in the annual David Staff Memorial Fell Race held in Darwen which incorporates moors, reservoirs and many steep climbs.

Out of the 150 starters, Paul Turner came 25th in the main race, and second in the veterans event, while Graham Shaw finished 52nd overall.

The Harriers continued their centenary celebrations with an orienteering event in which Scott Whittle was second and Dave Pendlebury just behind in the difficult red event, and Danielle Gudojc was fourth in the yellow race.