Southend's super sporting all-rounder Adam Hickey was on top of the world after being told of his biggest honour yet.

The 16-year-old Southend High School pupil is one of only four athletes preselected for the Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland team to contest the IAAF World Cross-Country Champ-ionships in Saint Etienne/ Saint Galmnier, France, on March 19 and 20.

The preselection follows Southend AC runner Hickey's superb performance at the Spar European Cross-Country Championships in Hering-sdorf, Germany, in December where Britain enjoyed their best ever showing at the event.

Hickey will be competing in the junior men's race on the second day of the world championships. He was the only junior who finished in the top 10 at the European event who remains eligible for the under-20 age group in 2005.