A KIRKBY Lonsdale hockey star was left in tears after being selected for Team GB women's Olympics squad.

Fiona Crackles will be heading to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after she was named in head coach Mark Hager's 16-player squad last Thursday.

And the 21-year-old revealed she was left feeling delighted by the announcement.

She said: "It was an apprehensive wait, but when I found out I pretty much cried for a few hours straight.

"Since then it has slowly sunk in, but to say I am going to be an Olympian still sounds totally ridiculous.

"My family have been my biggest fans, my mum was my coach when I was younger and taxi driver before I learnt how to drive so they were all absolutely over the moon!"

The former Queen Elizabeth School pupil will be jetting off to Japan on 11 July, as the squad acclimatises to their new surroundings before the first game against Germany two weeks later on 25 July.

After winning gold in Rio de Janeiro, Fiona and the Team GB women's squad will now be looking to emulate the 2016 Olympics team and bring home the country's second winners medal in the sport.

Fiona said: "As a team we are obviously aiming for gold, so I will ensure I do my job to my best ability for our team to succeed."

This summer's Olympics will cap off an excellent year for the youngster, who had only made her senior debut for Great Britain last October.

However, after coming on as a substitute against the Netherlands , Fiona has gone from strength to strength ever since.

Fiona reflected: "It has been a whirlwind and a lot of change, but all I've tried to do is learn as much as possible with the time I've had.

"Coming in so late, I just had a mindset of 'nothing to lose' so have tried to take it all in my stride even when feeling very overwhelmed at times.

"I am most proud to be a Northern girl from a state school where hockey isn't very big.

"I hope to inspire other young girls in the sport to show hard work and belief can get you a long way."

Alongside Germany, head coach Hager is relishing the chance to face fellow Pool A teams the Netherlands, Ireland, India and South Africa.

He said: "For many of our Great Britain squad this has been a five-year journey in the making. Narrowing our squad down from 26 has been extremely difficult and highlighted the depth and talent we have. I have been humbled by how our entire Great Britain squad has supported each other through the selection process. There is a lot of potential in this team and I am very excited to see what this group of not only talented athletes but exceptional people can bring in Tokyo.

"We have a good balance of experience within the group to draw upon as we continue to challenge each other, and I am looking forward to seeing this group of athletes perform on the world stage."

After opening the campaign against Germany, Team GB will then face South Africa on 26 July, before a meeting with India on 28 July, a 29 July showdown with the Netherlands, with the final game against Ireland on 31 July.