BOLTON youngster Christopher Moffatt flies to Germany tomorrow - and could return next week as world champion.

Christopher, aged 12, competes in an event called the biathle, where competitors have to complete a run, a swim and then another run to finish off.

The Westhoughton lad is already the British champion for his age group and in Bonn on Saturday he will attempt to become the world's best.

If support counts for anything, then Christopher should do it.

Not only are his parents, Andrew and Julie, going to Germany to cheer him on but also in the stands will be his younger sister, Rachael (9), and his grandparents Bert and Doreen Pealing.

"We are very proud of him," said dad Andrew. "It is a major achievement considering he is just 12 years old.

"He started swimming properly at Horwich Leisure Centre just two years ago and he has become a pretty good swimmer, and is part of the Bolton Metro swim squad now.

"He's very fit anyway and he's running is good so hopefully he will do well at what is the inaugural world championships for the biathle."

Christopher - who has had good support from Bolton School where he is a pupil - has already won the British Biathle Championships, which took place in Somerset last month.

He will arrive in Germany tomorrow dinner time, train with the rest of the British team on Friday and then go for the big one the following day.

In his event he will have to complete a 500 metre run, followed by a 100m swim and then another 500m run to finish off.

To be fast enough and fit enough to beat the world's best takes some doing.

But given a little bit of luck Christopher could return to Bolton next week as the world champ.

Now that would be something to tell his schoolmates ...