Junior men's winner Ben Peggs (centre) with his parents Kevin and Julie

FENCER Ben Peggs was a happy winner after taking the junior men's crown for the second year in a row.

The teenager, from Bramley, had a brilliant 2007, finishing second in the British Cadet Championships, as well as winning senior men's events in Glasgow and Shropshire.

Having moved up to the junior level for the second half of the year, the foil specialist picked up an impressive seventh place in the World Junior A Grade Series in Poland.

Peggs said: "I was really surprised to win the award as I looked in the programme and I could not see anyone who had won it twice. Last year was very good for me with the highspot being the British Championships."

He added: "I certainly feel becoming a full-time athlete has helped me in so many ways. The next step is to be selected for the Junior World Championships."

This year, the Bramley swordsman has continued to make progress up the world junior rankings to 61 out of 450 fencers, and he remains on track for his ambition to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics.

Peggs said: "The Olympics is what I am aiming for and, at the moment, I feel that everything is on course to achieve that. I would also like to thank my sponsors Hotelsrus.com, Fruitful Developments and British Fencing."

The junior men's runner-up was rugby player David Rees, brother of England star Tom, while volleyball player Marc Richardson was third.

3:49pm Wednesday 12th March 2008

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