SWINDON sprinter Abby Miles is hoping that a change in coach will be the springboard to a successful year on the track.

The 16-year-old Swindon Harrier, who is also a long-jumper, from Shaw, is now working with Dan Cossins, who runs one of the top sprint and jump groups in the west country.

Cossins’ star athlete is Wiltshire’s British international and London Olympian Danny Talbot, of Trowbridge, but the group also boasts numerous other top-class athletes, so Miles should benefit from training in that environment.

“I started working with Dan in August,” said Miles.

“I wanted to improve and I wasn’t able to see my previous coach (Tony Jackson) often enough because of his work commitments.”

Miles, who is a student at Lydiard Park Academy, now travels to Bath University three times a week to see Cossins, which is a big commitment in time and money by her and her family.

She admits it will take her time to get used to new training methods but Miles is happy so far and a personal best of 8.26secs in her opening race of the indoor season at the South West Championships in Cardiff, with a silver medal in the under 20 women’s 60m, represented a solid start to the new year.

“That was an indoor PB and technically, I felt a lot better and my start was good,” added Miles.

“I will still do the long jump and sprint this year and I am not sure what will be my number one event. I am sure there is more to come but hopefully there will be a lot more improvement this summer.”

Miles had a decent season last year, qualifying for her first appearance for Wiltshire at the English Schools’ Championships, winning medals at the South West and Midland Championships and improving her personal best to 5.36m.

She is back in action again this weekend contesting the long jump in part two of the South West Indoor Championships and then it is onto the London Games at the end of the month.