Champion's tips give Jamie edge

LINCOLNSHIRE wheelchair racer Jamie Carter is hoping double Paralympic champion David Weir can be his secret weapon as he bids for Sainsbury's School Games glory next month.

Cleethorpes Athletic Club member Carter, who has cerebral palsy, has been training once a month in Surrey with six-time London Marathon winner Weir – his sixth title coming in yesterday's event – ahead of the School Games, which is backed by National Lottery funding from Sport England.

Carter was in action in the capital himself yesterday, coming an impressive fifth in his age group in the wheelchair mini-marathon contest.

The 17-year-old from Binbrook already holds the 200m and 800m British records for his age and is now looking to make it a clean sweep by breaking the 100m and 400m records in only his second season of racing when he competes at the Olympic Stadium in May.

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And Grimsby Institute pupil Carter thinks Weir could give him the edge over his rivals as he looks to keep the records tumbling in London.

"David's always there to help and advise me," said Carter. "It's the little tricks he's been teaching me that help you to the finish line.

"We've been working on the big things too ahead of the School Games, which I've been putting into use. I'm targeting the 2016 Paralympics and hopefully I can emulate David's achievements.

"The School Games is different to any other competition as it is bigger and has a whole different atmosphere to it.

"I never know what the competition will be like so it's just me and my race. I will try to do the best I can and improve my times and see where that takes me.

"It will be good to experience what the athletes will experience when they arrive for London 2012. I think a big crowd will always spur you on and I think I will cope with it alright."

As well as Weir's expert advice, Carter will also receive a boost from the new bit of kit he took for a spin at a Kingston track meet earlier this month

Carter got a new racing chair just before Christmas and after giving it a test drive he's ready to unleash it at the Olympic Stadium, just three months before the world's best athletes descend on the same venue.

"My new chair gets the best out of me and I get the best out of it," added Carter. "It's totally the right chair for me.

"It's a bit more comfortable than my last one and I've been training in it all winter. It's something that no one else has got so it's really special."

The Sainsbury's School Games is being held in the Olympic Park and other venues from May 6-9 with school-aged elite athletes competing across 12 sports. Visit www.2012schoolgames.com