In three weeks' time, 27-year-old Emily Freeman will begin her quest for gold in the 200m and the 4x100m relay in Beijing's Olympic stadium, while on the field, Martyn Bernard, 23, will aim to leap into the history books in the high jump.

It will be a proud summer for their home club, Wakefield Harriers, who helped nurture such precocious talent and send them on their way to international success.

"We are very proud of both of them," said Wakefield team manager Terry Ridsdale. "No other club in Yorkshire boasts two Olympians.

"And both of them are certainly in with a chance of winning a medal.

"Emily was a very shy girl when she first came to the club, but she quickly became the leading sprinter.

"It was easy to see then that she had the potential to make it because she was winning races repetitively for us.

"Martin was a gawky-looking 12-year-old when he first came to Wakefield. We had him as a cross-country runner but by the time he was 15 he'd turned to high jump."

Through the national and international meetings that Wakefield attend, both have matured into Olympians.

Freeman's development has been strengthened by National Lottery funding that enabled her to quit work last October and dedicate her life to athletics.

"It has changed everything for me," said Freeman, who was born in Huddersfield, began sprinting with Spenborough Athletics Club, lives in Rotherham and trains at the English Insitutute of Sport in Sheffield.

"It allowed me to quit work, but it's not just the money, it's the support that is offered.

"I can now train in Sheffield twice a day. There's a nutritionist on site and doctors, as well as strength and conditioning people.

"It's enabled me to become a full-time athlete."

Freeman underlined her growing status when she breezed to victory in the Olympic 200m trials in Birmingham two weeks ago.

She had already achieved the A-standard qualifying time in Holland a month earlier, but a second assured performance secured her a seat on the plane to Beijing

"It's important to get the
A-standard early on so you can at least say to the selectors 'I have the potential to run this time'," she added.

"I was pleased I had it but I knew I still had to perform at the trials.

"It was also my first race back from a hamstring injury scare I felt in the Europa Cup.

"It was really a low grade tear and, fortunately, I overcame it in time to race in the trials.

"I've just got to be sensible with it in the run-up to Beijing."

With the hamstring concern behind her, Freeman set a new personal best of 22.72secs in winning the trials.

Four years ago in Athens, that time would have been good enough for a semi-final place. A time of 22.63secs won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Osaka last year.

"The aim in Beijing is to just run as well as I can," she said. "I would love to set a new personal best. To do that, I have to run my own race."

Individual tactics will be cast aside as the second week draws to a close when Freeman teams up with her fellow sprinters in the 4x100m relay in Beijing.

This team discipline was earmarked as her main event at the start of the year.

"That's what I've been funded for all year," she said.

"The aim of the lottery funding is for me to help the relay team win a medal.

"But while the 4x100m is still a priority for me, both events are equally important."

Ridsdale, who has tracked Freeman's progress ever since her first race for Wakefield, believes she has the talent and ability to win a medal in the 200m.

"The way she is running, in the 22.9secs bracket, gives her a chance of winning a medal," he said.

"Getting to the Olympics is reward for her dedication. It's not just been a sudden burst for her, it's been a long development.

"She has had a couple of years where she struggled with injuries and she's only been full-time six or seven months and before then she was paying her own way."

Bernard's passage to Beijing was not as comfortable as his club colleague's.

Having been overlooked for Athens four years ago, he was set for more heartache after finishing only third in the trials.

Bernard had attained the qualifying height of 2m 30cm – his personal best – but rival Samson Oni also had.

However, the Commonwealth Games silver medallist Bernard finally got the nod for Beijing and he will go there with realistic hopes of success.

Stefan Holm won gold in Athens with a jump of only six centimetres higher and World Championship gold in Osaka in 2007 was claimed with a jump of 2:35.

If Freeman and Bernard strike gold in Beijing, Team GB will be back to the Thornes Park breeding ground in four years' time.


Wakefield Harriers Olympians

Name: Emily Freeman

Age: 27

Born: Huddersfield

EventS: 200m and 4x100m

Honours: 2006 European Championship 4x100m silver

Olympic Champion: 200m - Veronica Campbell (Jamaica); 4x100m - Jamaica


Name: Martyn Bernard

Age: 23

Born: Wakefield

Event: High jump

Honours: 2006 Commonwelath Games silver, 2007 European Indoor bronze

Olympic Champion: Stefan Holm (Sweden)