Victoria Kinkaid was a classy winner of the Ulster U 15 800-metre event at the Ulster Indoor Championships at Belfast's Odyssey Arena. The Warrenpoint 13-year-old has in the past won Ulster and Irish gold medals in swimming but the top prize in athletics has always eluded her. However, having completed a hard winter's training in swimming and running, the benefit of her hard work was shown on the indoor track as she captured the Ulster Championship.

The early leader in the race was Shannon McGroody, the 2009 Ulster Cross Country champion, who led through the first 600 metres. But on the last lap Victoria sped into first place and surged down the finishing straight, powering away from the rest of the field to claim a stunning victory in two minutes and 30 seconds.

Victoria along with her twin sister Maria, is a member of the Irish Junior Triathlon Squad and the pair will focus on the upcoming outdoor track season and the Ulster Youth Swimming Championships before competing for the Irish Junior team at the Youth Triathlon relays at Athlone in July.

Both girls attend Our Lady's Grammar School and, sports teacher Imelda McAteer told the Democrat: "Victoria and Maria are so passionate about sport. I compare them to the world-renowned tennis twins Serena and Venus Williams -sometimes it's Serena on top and then it’s Venus. At the moment Victoria is firing on all cylinders and has edged ahead."

Imelda continued: "The twins are vital cogs in our school squad that won the junior team event for the second year in a row at the County Down Schools' championship at Delamont Country Park."

The other members of Our Lady's team, who qualified for Ulster finals on February 28, are Mairead Grant, Ciara Grimley, Naoimh a Murray and Sarah Creegan.