KING'S Hall pupil Magnus Larsen, is the new National Under-9 Champion after winning the British Schools’ Cycling Association Sprint Championships in Staffordshire.

Magnus, who lives near Wellington, won his title in style. Averaging nearly 60kph and hitting 70kph near the finish – all on small schoolboy gears – Magnus had to ride a time trial of 500 metres and then a kilometre against the other competitors in heats.

His father Gary said: “Magnus was the fastest in both races and won against quite tough opposition from across the country. He trained hard and improved his personal best at the distances by five and eight seconds respectively.”

Magnus is now looking forward to racing in national championship races including a circuit race in Derbyshire followed by a hill climb in Hampshire and track championships in Brighton later in the year. In addition to these events Magnus will be riding regularly for North Devon Wheelers so he has got plenty of cycling to look forward to over the next few months.

However Magnus is not just a champion cyclist, because he also recently won as award for the solo descant recorder at Taunton Music Festival.

King’s Hall Headmaster Justin Chippendale said: “We are incredibly proud of Magnus’s achievements and so delighted for him. “We encourage pupils to have aspirations well beyond their immediate surroundings and Magnus is a terrific example of someone stretching themselves to explore their full potential.”