Two Ashford Athletic Club athletes have been earmarked for glory with inclusion in UK Athletics’ World Class Performance Programme for the 2009/10 season.

Olympic and Commonwealth runner Lisa Dobriskey (pictured) has been included in the Podium funding programme and young Vicky Silk, from Folkestone, will get funding from the Development programme.

The programme, which runs annually from December to November, is split into two levels of funding, Podium and Development.

There is strict criteria and standards, which must be met in selection and maintained with the support of UKA staff.

Dobriskey, the former Southlands pupil from New Romney, now lives in Loughborough but maintains her affiliation with Ashford AC. She has risen to be a medal contender in middle-distance running despite several testing injuries.

Dobriskey first showed her class winning the Commonwealth Games 1,500m gold and is now a strong medal prospect for the Olympics after her World Championship silver medal this year.

Another major breakthrough was beating the four-minute barrier for the first time for 1,500m in Zurich.

Silk has continued to impress as a multi-talented disability athlete to earn her place on the Development funding programme, targeting the Paralympics.

The Folkestone teenager recently took two golds and a silver at the World Dwarf Games in Belfast and is a talented field athlete in discus, javelin and shot put.