TEENAGE sprint sensation Maria Lyle, from Dunbar, bagged herself a pair of European Championship gold medals last week, at the age of just 14.

Lyle was firstly in the T35 100m at the IPC Athletics European Championships in Swansea, and she blew away the field to claim gold in an impressive performance in the final.

Lyle, who has cerebral palsy, finished over a second-and-a-half ahead of her nearest rival in an event in which she has an impressive record, already holding the world record.

After the first of her gold medal successes, the Dunbar Grammar School pupil said: “I need to keep training and doing what I’m doing and hopefully I’ll be selected to go to the World Championships.

“The support here has been really good and keeps me going. I was exhausted going for my celebration but I’m very pleased.

“I was a bit nervous but managed to control myself and think about what I needed to do.” And to back up her first performance, Lyle won gold again, less than 24 hours later in the T35 200m – another event she also holds the world record in.

Last Thursday afternoon, the county youngster pulled out another incredible performance to claim victory in 31.05s – a time quicker than the gold medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The youngster flew down to Bristol from Edinburgh on Monday with her mum, Susan, and dad, Raymond, before travelling across the Welsh border.

There, she joined up with Team GB for her first senior championship, which proved one to remember.

She told Courier Sport: “Everyone was really nice and helpful.

“We had a great support team behind us and everybody was really nice and it was just a really nice environment to be in.” The trio returned north last Friday with Lyle, who has just entered S3, returning to school on Monday.

She said: “I was looking forward to seeing my friends again, so I was quite glad to be back.” Her performances earned her high praise, with Dame Tanni Grey-Thomspon signalling out the Dunbar youngster.

The 11-time Paralympic champion said: “Maria Lyle looked so young out there and seemed so nervous on the start line but once she started running she was fantastic and looked very composed.

“I think at 14 it can be hard to comprehend the size of the event but I’m glad it didn’t get to her.” Lyle was too young to be allowed to complete at the Paralympics in London in 2012 but is now making her mark on the world stage.

And she has warned her rivals she could go even quicker.

The county youngster is now hoping for further success, with her ultimate goal to reach the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.

The athletics season has now finished, with the teenager set to start winter training in the coming weeks.

Then, her attentions will switch to the IPC World Championships in Doha next year.