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Ten of the UK’s most promising young athletes have been nominated for a top industry award.

The shortlist for SportsAid’s One-to-Watch award has been announced.

Shining a spotlight on the achievements of Britain’s young sports stars, the awards have a track record of scouting future talent. Olympic bronze medallist Tom Daley and Paralympic champion Hollie Arnold are among the previous winners.

The 2017 shortlist, unveiled by SportsAid, takes in 10 young athletes from a across a wide range of sports:

• Beth Shriever, 18, from Braintree – cycling
• Calvin Tarczy, 17, from Fortis Green – rowing
• Caroline Dubois, 16, from Chelsea – boxing
• Charlie Smith, 18, from Leighton Buzzard – canoeing
• Craig Boardman, 17, from Thruxton – disability athletics
• Finette Agyapong, 20, from Newham – athletics
• Holly Dunford, 18, from Tadworth – rowing
• Kate Waugh, 18, from Gateshead – triathlon
• Lauren Hemp, 17, from North Walsham – football
• Lily May Humphreys, 15, from Sudbury – golf

The rising stars have been selected from more than 1,000 athletes across more than 60 sports. They have been nominated by their sport’s governing body – based on their talent and potential.

Backing The Best

Among the list of this year’s nominees is 16 year-old Caroline Dubois, who already has three junior gold boxing medals under her belt.

Caroline has been receiving support from Backing the Best, a scheme funded by us and delivered by SportsAid. The bursaries cover expenses such as travel, accommodation, nutrition and medical bills. 

The young boxer is proud to have been nominated as a One-to-Watch.

“I feel privileged that people recognise my talent and skill, showing it was worthy of a nomination," she says. “It’s nice to be recognised for all the hard work I put in. I’ve achieved a lot this year, and not just this year, but last year as well.

“The funding has helped massively because this year has been so busy. I’ve had camps all the way up in Warrington and Sheffield so it’s helped me get to those areas.”

The Final Result

The ultimate winner of the One-to-Watch Award will be announced on Thursday 23 November at SportsAid’s SportsBall.