DENHOLME’S Rebekah Tiler is facing a two-tournament shoot-out in her bid to reach the Rio Olympics, starting with next month’s European Championships.

The 17-year-old is in competition with Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Zoe Smith, who turns 22 next month.

Both have been named in the 14-strong Great Britain team for the European event in Norway on April 10-16. They will also face off in the Cybex British Championships at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena on June 11-12.

With a maximum of one male and one female place for Rio available if sufficient team points are secured in Norway, it will guarantee both exciting lifting and intense rivalries as GB team-mates battle for top ranking positions.

The men’s team will need to finish in the top seven and the females in the top six of those countries who have not already qualified to secure an individual place at the Games.

Ilkley Grammar School PE teacher Sarah Davies is also among the seven women going to Forde, where a record-breaking 411 athletes from over 40 countries will take part.

Ashley Metcalfe, British Weight Lifting’s chief executive officer, said: “We are sending our strongest team possible to Norway for the Championships, with the ultimate aim of securing Olympic places for both the men’s and women’s teams.

“It is going to be extremely tough, with a number of European nations still fighting for the remaining few places in Rio, but we are confident that our athletes’ preparations provides us with very encouraging signs of achieving top performances and the best chance of qualifying for GB next month.”

British Weight Lifting’s performance director Tommy Yule added: “Qualification for this summer’s Olympic Games remains extremely competitive, such is the standard of Europe’s top athletes.

“Our elite lifters have proven themselves more than up to the challenge, however, and have a terrific opportunity in Norway to seal Olympic qualification.

“The whole team remains very motivated and focused on making this happen, building on what was a fantastic year of competition in 2015, capped off by the best World Championship performance in more than ten years, and we aim to emulate this on the European stage next month.”

Great Britain squad – Women: Zoe Smith, Rebekah Tiler, Sarah Davies, Emily Godley, Mercy Brown, Hannah Powell, Norrin Gulam. Men: Jack Oliver, Sonny Webster, Gareth Evans, Owen Boxall, Chris Freebury, Sam Henderson, Darius Jorkazadeh.