CITY of Plymouth athlete Victoria Weir is in line to make her Great Britain debut next month after winning the European Cross Country Championship trial race at Liverpool on Saturday.

The 18-year-old beat pre-race favourite and last year’s European silver medallist Harriet Knowles-Jones by four seconds in the under-20 women’s Cross Challenge event at Sefton Park.

Warrington’s Knowles-Jones has represented Great Britain at the IAAF World Junior Championships and World Youth Championships in the last two years and is the current national champion, but she had to settle for second best behind Weir this weekend.

Former Plymstock School pupil Weir, who is now studying at the University of Birmingham, finish in a time of 14 minutes and 25 seconds.

Knowles-Jones clocked 14.29 minutes, with Charnwood’s Hannah Nuttall third in 14.43.

The top five in the race won automatic qualification for the Great Britain team to complete at the European Championship, which will be held in Chia, Italy, on December 11.