THREE sisters will tread in the footsteps of Usain Bolt and Jessica Ennis when they compete in a national biathlon competition next month.

Sadie, Carla and Kate Abel, of Fishburn, near Sedgefield, County Durham, have all qualified for the Schools Biathlon Championship at the Olympic Park in London on Saturday, April 5.

The contest will see the sisters, who are members of Sedgefield Harriers and Sedgefield 75 Swimming Club, compete against children from across the UK.

Twins Carla and Kate, 11, will run 800m before swimming 50m in the London Aquatics Centre, while Sadie, 13, will run 16,000m and swim 100m.

Sadie, who hopes to represent Great Britain in Modern Pentathlon one day, said: “It is brilliant to have qualified.

“When I watched the Olympics on the television I thought how great it would be to compete in the Olympic Park and now it is happening.”

The girls’ mother Nicola Craggs added: “I am so pleased all three of them have qualified. I am very proud of them.”