ANNIE Last will be gunning for Olympic medal glory in front of her Leigh -based grandparents at Hadleigh Farm on Saturday.

Last, who is Great Britain’s only representative in the women’s cross country mountain biking race, will start fourth on the grid.

And she is determined to produce a good performance in front of a capacity crowd, which will include her relatives Mavis and Brian Taylor.

“My grandparents live in Leigh so they’re delighted that I’m riding only 10 minutes down the road from them,” said Last, 21.

“I’m sure they would’ve come along wherever the race was taking place but it’s handy for them that it’s so close.

“Fingers crossed I can do well in front of them and the other 20,000 fans who will be there watching.”

Last qualified for the Games by picking up ranking points in a variety of races during the season, which ended with her sitting seventh in the World Cup series.

She therefore goes in to the race at weekend among the medal contenders.

But the Manchester-based cyclist is taking nothing for granted on what she considers to be a tough Hadleigh course.

“I’ve been able to practise on it a few times and you have to remain concentrated at all times,” said Last.

“Sometimes on other courses you can relax because you’re going downhill for quite a while or there are some long straights but Hadleigh isn’t like that.

“It changes all the time and I think they’ve done a really good job with it, especially as it’s all man-made.”

Last is therefore relishing riding the trail again this weekend after completing a remarkable rise to the top of the sport – which first began because of her chocolate cravings.

“When I was younger I rode horses and my brother Tom rode bikes so I always got dragged along to watch,” said Last.

“I eventually agreed to join in if he agreed to ride a horse and that’s how it all started.

“I enjoyed it straight away and when we finished we used to get a goody bag full of chocolate.

“That was another reason why I kept on going back, but my brother wasn’t quite so successful on a horse.

“In fact, I think he only lasted about five minutes.”

Tom will also be among those watching this weekend when his sister will be making her Olympic debut.

And so determined was Last to make it to London that she deferred her medicine degree at Sheffield University to concentrate on her cycling.

“A career in medicine was my other option but I can always go back to that in the future,” said Last.

“I’d like to be a surgeon one day but for now I’m fully focused on my cycling and doing well this weekend.

“I’m in a group of around 10 girls who could get a medal so hopefully I can produce the goods on the day.”