A new set of twins are making a splash on the Sussex scene.

Twins have done well in Sussex athletics before and now the 12-year-old brother and sister pairing of Carl and Danielle Svoboda of the Phoenix Club have burst on to the scene.

Danielle has already chalked up her first appearance for the Sussex under-13 cross country team this season, coming 72nd in the South of England Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships at Sherborne.

Carl's current form, he finished third in last Saturday's Sussex Cross Country League event, suggests he should make the Sussex team for the national inter-county event after next month's Sussex Championships.

Both are likely to make the Sussex Schools team for the year seven and eight inter-county schools event in March.

Carl, who goes to Dorothy Stringer School, Brighton, with his sister, finished 33rd in the final of the England Schools Cross Country Cup at Tadcaster in Yorkshire after finishing eighth in the regional final at Dorothy Stringer.

Danielle, who is the older twin, finished sixth in the regional event but her team did not qualify for the final. Danielle said: "We both started racing at the same time when we ran in the Brighton Juniors Schools Championships for the Downs Junior School at Stanmer Park.

"We both liked running but after the schools event we joined the Phoenix Club and we like it because it is fun."

Carl said: "I am aiming to run for Sussex if I do well enough in the County Championships. It is good going to races with my sister and I think we help each when we are racing."