Episode 1 Ultimate Sports Day

Here, in two weeks, 16 of the UK's best young athletes

will do battle in a unique sporting challenge.

Four nations competing in a series of events specially built

to test strength, speed, agility and control.

Ultimate events, ultimate competition - Ultimate Sports Day!

Ravenscraig, once the capital of Scotland's steel industry.

Now where we'll test the mettle of the UK's top sporting talent.

75 the best young sporting stars in the UK

will be put through a gruelling set of physical tests. Their goal -

to win one of the four places available on each of the four teams,

Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales.

-Hi, I'm Leo.

-Hi, I'm Ellie.

-My name is Morgan.

-I'm here to win for England.

-I'm here to beat the English!

-Come on, Wales!

Mastermind behind the tests, sports trainer, Professor Greg Whyte.

He guided Christine Bleakley in her waterskiing marathon,

and David Walliams in his cross-Channel swim for Sport Relief.

So he knows how to measure the core fitness of these young athletes.

The talent on show is exceptional.

Hands on shoulders!

They have just 24 hours to prove themselves,

and four from each country will win a place in the national team.

-You're doing well.

-Faster! Let's go! Get in!

Mentoring the teams are champions from the world of sport.

For Scotland, ice-dancing legend, Sinead Kerr.

Competing for your country

is something you feel with your heart.

For Wales, European champion sprinter, Christian Malcolm.

I know what it takes.

For Northern Ireland,

former world featherweight boxing champion, Barry McGuigan.

The sport chose me, I didn't choose it.

For England, Olympic decathlete, Dean Macey.

If I had to put money on a team, I would put money on team England!

Phase 1, select the best 32 from 75 contestants.

They'll tackle seven tests including rowing, sit-ups and bleep tests.

The highest scoring in each age group,

under-14s and under-16s, will make it through.

The test stops when you miss two consecutive beats.

Good, good, good.

Northern Ireland's mentor Barry has spotted the potential

of one young athlete.

He's going to be... Good stamina and strength.

12-year-old Connor from Belfast.

His dad used to go head-to-head with Barry in the ring.

Let's try a few really fast ones.

'We sparred together. We boxed for Northern Ireland'

and for United Ireland team.

He was an incredible athlete.

500-metre row is about asking them to push themselves

as hard as they can, and hold on for somewhere like two minutes.

A painful event.

Can Connor show some of the same star quality as his dad,

to win a place in Barry's team?

Keep down. We now realise what the problem was.

His feet were too high on the thing where you hook your feet.

He has to do it again.

He'll do it around two minutes. That's important to him.

With the technical problem resolved,

he will be aiming to get a good score in this test

to keep him on track in the competition.

-He is not the only one feeling the pressure.

-It's exhausting.

-I feel really tired.

-One of the toughest test is the pull-ups.

-Excellent.

-'I just did six pull-ups.'

That was really hard.

I didn't like the chin-ups. I've got no strength in my arms.

This is much more intense.

Pull-ups is about muscular endurance, and this is tough.

It requires a fantastic power-to-weight ratio,

so you have to be strong for your bodyweight.

You've got to go full extension.

'My name is Tom, I come from South Wales.'

Sport is literally my life, I'm always running.

Pull, pull, pull.

-Good work.

-The last one, I couldn't...

-But that's what you want.

Remember I said I don't care if you do none, I don't care if you do 100.

I just want to know you've done your best. And did your best.

It was really tricky. It really burns your arms.

The pull-ups are also serious test for Tom's team-mate,

national hockey player, Jacob, from Gwent.

Your hands just slip off, even though you've got chalk on.

Feel confident?

That's good. If it was a yes, there's something wrong!

My name is Shanice, and I live in East London with my mum and brother,

who are very supportive over my sport, which is basketball.

I also like doing volleyball, and in my spare time I love roller-skating.

Perfect! Knees are awesome! Keep your chin up!

Despite her nerves, Shanice does really well, with 12 repetitions.

-Awesome for the under-15 England team basketball player.

-Well done.

Three, two, one, go!

THEY SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT Keep pulling!

Christian pins the hopes of Wales on 13-year-old gymnast Morgan.

Big round of applause. 22 pull-ups!

-I don't think

-I

-could do 22 pull-ups!

-We should have a competition.

-You want a competition against me?

-Yes!

-You're setting a challenge?

You've got a feisty one on your hands!

I'm Morgan, and I'm 13 years old, and I live in Cardiff.

I've been doing artistic gymnastics since I was five,

and I now compete for Wales internationally.

On Barry's team, with his feet firmly strapped in,

Connor has another chance at rowing. He's got to get it right this time,

cos every score counts towards getting selected for a place

on the Northern Ireland team.

There's a smile back on your face.

-Crack on with the rest of the competition?

-Yes.

-High five.

Meanwhile, in the Scottish camp,

Sinead has spotted a potential star for her team.

I'm Fraser from Scotland. My event is the 800 metres.

I can see in him a little bit of fire, and I like that.

I think that's something you can work with.

My legs are absolutely aching. Very, very tired.

For England, Dean has a strong contender of his own.

I'm Allard, my main sport is hockey.

I also do running, swimming, badminton, whatever.

Anything that's thrown at me. I just enjoy sports.

The feeling you get after you've been out for a run, it's amazing.

-I'm here to win it.

-This is your first challenge.

-Did you feel you've got to nail it first time?

-I thought so, yes.

I thought, I've got all my energy, I'll put everything into this,

and see how the others go.

Grunting and drafting, and you knew he was hurting.

Come on! Go, go, go! And stop. Well done.

Good man, good man.

I'm Sarah, I'm from Northern Ireland, and my sport is gymnastics.

That's fantastic. 13.

Stepping up to the challenge of Morgan's tally of 22 pull-ups

is Northern Ireland's Sarah.

22! You're going to beat the record! Come on!

23! Yes!

Sarah was outstanding. 26!

Someone's taking your target of 22! How do you feel?

She's a gymnast as well, so I've just got to work harder. Bring it on!

Jacob from Wales literally throws himself into every challenge.

My name's Jacob, I'm 13 years old. I started sport when I was three,

doing Taekwondo, and when I was 11 I did hockey,

and I want to play hockey in the Olympics for my country.

Now, Jacob and Tom are neck and neck.

The bleep test is about aerobic capacity, about how hard they can go,

how long they can go. As well as that it's about the attitude towards it.

Are they going to give up or dig deep?

With Tom out, Jacob pushes on through.

Brilliant, well done.

-Are you all right?

-It's over now, you've won it.

-Up we come.

Completely exhausted, has he pushed TOO far?

Big deep breath in. Big deep breath in.

It's the end of a long, energy-sapping day.

The teams check out where they'll be sleeping.

-Oh, wow.

-Wicked bunks.

Fully recovered, Jacob can't wait to get into his bed.

THEY LAUGH

Sweet dreams, guys, because tonight could be your last.

Tomorrow, its phase one eliminations.

We've got eliminations tomorrow. Really nervous about that.

I'm not looking forward to it, because some of the people

I've got quite friendly with are probably going to go out.

I really don't want to go home.

I want to stay right to the end and win.

Well, it's early in the morning on the first judgement day

for our sporting champions, and by the looks of things,

not all of them have slept well.

And it's set to get even worse for some of them,

because today, they'll get sent packing.

Only the highest-scoring in their age group,

four boys and four girls from each nation,

will make it through to the next phase of the selection process.

You showed heart, you showed commitment. It was fantastic to work with you.

But I'm afraid it's going to be the end of the line.

You guys didn't make the cut.

-I know I did my best.

-That's all I ask for.

You didn't give up on anything. You didn't quit.

I've really, really enjoyed it. It's been really good.

Connor is now about to find out if he's done enough

to follow his father's footsteps and represent Northern Ireland.

Every one of you guys are very special in what you do.

That's the reason you're here in the first place. However,

you guys are going home.

WHISPERING

I'm going to come back next year and give it my all.

Don't be upset.

I know that this kid is going to refocus

and be twice as good the next time.

Because you're upset, that shows me you're competitive.

You're a stamina man, not a speed guy,

so that takes time for you to develop.

But I have no doubt I'll be reading about Connor Murphy.

I know, I'm absolutely sure about that.

So don't worry about it and tell your dad not to fall out with me.

LAUGHS

What verdict does Sinead have for Scotland?

Unfortunately, I have some not great news...

You're going to be stuck with me for another week!

You guys made it.

CHEERING

You're the team.

You're here for the rest of the week! Come on!

It's emotional, when you're in that room

with people you think got through and people you didn't.

and then you find out you got through

and it's, it's quite ecstatic.

The moment that we got told was, it was really good.

Good job, good job, good job.

The remaining contestants must fight for a place in their national squads.

Two boys and two girls to compete in the Ultimate Sports Day finals.

They've had to let go of some outstanding athletes.

What they're now left with in a group of highly accomplished, physical athletes.

The key issue now is what is their skill like, their attitude

and are they going to be the right person for their USD team?

-I'm pretty impressed with my top eight. Team England, let me tell you, are here to win.

-England!

Team Scotland!

From now on, the decision as to who will represent their nation

is down to the mentors.

I think I've got the best eight and what's going to be tough

is choosing the next best four.

They're are about to put their team through a series of epic challenges.

-The events ahead are going to require a lot of teamwork.

-A lot of skills none of them have done before.

They'll face obstacles and challenges they'll find difficult.

I want to see how they adapt to that.

Every individual challenge that we give them,

they're competing against someone or something.

They need to be fearless and that's what I want to see.

I want them to go away feeling like they're better athletes for this experience.

7.53am.

Wales has drawn the short straw to be up for the first challenge.

Wakey wakey, Jakey.

-CHEERING

-Who are we?

Morgan started a chant, "Who are we?" And they all shout "Team Victory".

That's what I'm talking about, Team Victory!

-How are we feeling, guys?

-Tired.

-Tired?

-Yes.

-Early start.

Wales begin with the best intentions.

Greg wants to see how the young athletes adapt to sports

they're not familiar with.

# B-b-baby, you just ain't seen nothing yet... #

But this canoeing lark isn't as easy as it looks. Is it, guys?

OK, enough messing around, people. Time for the challenge to commence.

I'm used to my water being more frozen than this.

I will be in the boat with you.

I do not like the cold and I do not like the cold water.

I don't want to be going in there today, OK, guys?

-Let's go, come on.

-Their task is simple...

Pull the boat towards you, jump in, paddle to the other side

and get out again.

So who can do this in the fastest time in their age group?

This is a test of skill and technique

but what's really interesting here, it's about risk.

How hard do they paddle? When do they get out and jump out,

trying to get the best time possible?

On the edge, right so I try and stand up and jump onto here

and then, and then, I flash across here, paddling back.

Oi, oi, oi! That is no way to treat a top Olympic athlete, my friend!

-LAUGHTER

-He soaked me! 'There's something about Jacob I like.'

I don't know what it is, I like his fighting spirit.

If I'm honest, on day one when I first saw him,

I just thought he was disruptive.

He was just a wild child, all over the place.

Christian, how was your splash?

Yes, I'll splash, his eyes out, don't worry.

Wait till you hear your splash now.

I'll pick you up and dash you in there.

He's shown me he's got a lot fight, heart and determination.

Now, it's England's turn.

Surely Dean will get the respect he deserves?

-Ooh!

-I didn't think so.

You feel you're pulling a big weight when you're moving forward.

Ooh, bit harsh. Take it as a compliment, Deano.

Near the end I had a slow bit but there was nothing I could do, I tried my hardest.

Grab on to the side, doubling off.

Go, go, go.

Now it's time for Leo to have a go, but instead of pulling the rope,

Leo runs back with it as hard as he can.

I thought if I just pull it, wrap around my hand and run,

constantly pulling it and then the time that takes me to run

to get back to Dean, he'll have floated to there,

-so I thought it would save time.

-Good man. As quick as you like?

'Leo's brilliant'. He's an Essex boy, they call him Joey Essex.

Joey Essex here, absolute quality down the finish line.

He hates it but takes it on the chin. Good job, good job.

With this new technique, which I didn't even figure out, we were so, so much quicker.

But now he's shared his secret, will tough competitor Allard steal Leo's crown?

-Good lad, good lad.

-Hopefully not, because I want to be the best.

But if he does,

that's more good news because it helps England, doesn't it?

Good man, good man. Hold on, slow down! Slow down!

-No!

-And Leo's winning tactic hasn't gone unnoticed.

England are closely watched by Team Scotland's Frazzle and Fraser.

The English technique's good. He's totally running back,

-then he lets it go, about three quarters. We'll copy that technique.

-He's going pretty fast.

Leo's method isn't as easy as it looks though,

-as Ellen finds out.

-'It's quite tiring, actually.'

I fell pulling the rope in, that wasn't good.

The Scottish team are trying some new techniques of their own.

LAUGHTER

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Next up, Northern Ireland.

Keep going!

Greg wanted to see risk and Thomas isn't afraid to take one here.

Jump in, jump in. OK.

Jack may be a champion swimmer, but for this challenge, you're supposed to stay in the boat.

Are you sure you want to do this, yes?

Northern Ireland seem keen to make a big splash with Barry. Brrr!

'The water was particularly freezing'

and that eejit Jack,

decided he would get everybody else to jump in the water.

You know, and the interesting thing is this,

it may be funny but in fact it's very serious.

-I have do have somebody who can lead that team.

-Oh, it's so cold!

And I'm still trying to collate all this information and decide

strategically and tactically, who's going to be in my team.

Time for a sports masterclass.

-Please welcome...

-Olympic bronze medallist...

-Kelly Sotherton!

Kelly is here to train the teams for their next selection week challenge.

Very surprised, didn't expect it. I'll have to get her autograph at some point.

Kelly has represented Great Britain both in the relay and the heptathlon.

She's now training for the Olympics.

I'm here today to show you how to sprint

and pass the baton in a relay.

Star jumps!

But first, the all-important warm-ups.

Loving the fancy footwork, guys.

And whatever you call that, Jake.

The next drill, you may not have done before.

I'm not too sure Christian does this, but if he does,

he'll probably be a better sprinter.

-Well, OK, fair enough.

-You might learn something here.

2012 Olympic contender, Christian, is never one to turn down a top tip.

That's it, not too high. Use your arms as well.

She's giving them great tips on how to use their arms properly,

where to focus on with their back and land with their feet when they run.

We're going to do standing starts.

The most important thing to remember is not to overstride the start.

So I don't want anyone to be like bounding out of the blocks,

because that will slow you down.

I've always wanted to be quicker and never thought I could.

But after learning a couple of techniques, I think I can improve.

I don't want you to come out with your feet underneath you,

looking for pennies, you know?

You have to drive and to make it efficient.

Kelly taught us the push technique

when you're passing the baton to your team-mates.

-Big shout.

-Hand.

-Louder. Sean to Fraser.

-Hand!

I've not really been coached

by anyone from the Olympics or anything before,

so it's quite cool, a new experience.

Just because you have a baton in your hand, don't stop using your arms.

It's even more important.

Be careful on the first couple of strides, the floor's slippy.

On your marks...

set...go!

-Oh, come back.

-Come on!

Oh, Jacob, good recovery. Don't worry.

Don't worry, it happens to the best.

-Sorry.

-Don't worry about it.

It's all practice. Next time, grip a bit harder.

For England, cyclist Sophie

is up against triathlete Emily in the younger age group.

Go! That's it, girls. That's it, arms undone.

I think I've got what it takes, but a lot of things we're doing now

aren't my type of sport and I feel at a bit of a disadvantage

being smaller and younger, but I'll try my best.

Love it. You bring joy to the track. Well done.

She's the smallest, she's the youngest and she's just, rarr,

grit your teeth, come on.

And I know for a fact she thinks her age and size is a disadvantage,

but I've got to say, her determination

and everything she shows when she's up against it,

she always pulls through.

Dean's a really good mentor and everyone gets on well with him

and he's really nice and involves everyone.

We really look up to him.

Yeah, that's cos he's nearly two metres tall, Emily!

I saw the Welsh team and they were nowhere near that standard.

Pairing up in the older age group

are 14-year-old basketball player Shanice

and 15-year-old hockey player Allard.

Both the hands. Go.

Oh, I had such high expectations. Where was the "hand" shout?

-I went "hand".

-You did say it, but quietly!

-It's still inside me.

-Oh!

On your marks...

set...go!

I don't think I did too well.

I just didn't feel good. It's my trainers, probably.

Yeah, blame the shoes, Fraser. It's always the shoes.

I performed well today,

but there still is quite a bit of competition

between me and the other boys,

because they're quite good, I'm quite good.

So it's still 50-50.

I loved meeting Kelly Sotherton.

It's great meet a legend like her.

-To have her coach us...

-Is something else.

When I dropped the baton, I felt pretty, like, annoyed

because it was a mistake that shouldn't have happened.

I should have grabbed it tighter and I felt like I let Hannah down

because I'd probably have won that race.

But as loads of people have said to me,

it's what I do now that counts.

Let's play a bit of basketball.

Phillips Idowu, MBE.

The double world champion triple-jumper stands at 1.96m.

Which comes in handy for coaching the first of the two new skills

the teams will need to learn for the USD finals.

High fives. High fives.

You may have seen me on the athletics track running and jumping,

but you may not have known I have a huge passion for basketball.

When I saw him, it was, like, "Whoa!"

I've seen him on TV. I like his red hair,

but he only does that for competitions.

Just above the palm of your hands to balance

and then the other hand in order to control.

Oh, unlucky!

I don't get to play too often now, so for me, it's great fun

to come out here and teach what I learnt as a youngster.

Try and get a little more extension in your arms, OK?

That'll give you the reach.

I think they were great.

For the first time attempting this task, they've done really well.

Phillips now takes the teams to learn their second new skill.

-That's a warm-up.

-Archery.

-That was a fail.

-I did it once before when I was, like, eight,

and I failed miserably. But hopefully I can get better.

It was OK. I was rubbish the first time I did it,

I got like, 1s, but it was easier the second time.

Like the basketball, it's not just the highest scores,

but their ability to improve by practising

that will be measured across the week.

It's about whether they apply themselves to practise, improve,

so it's as much about their physical ability

as their psychological attitude.

So, it's practice time for Wales.

But Christian, where's your team?

I've got to have a chat with you,

because I did hear yesterday no-one turned up to archery.

No, we all had a nap because we were shattered.

Wales had to wake up an hour earlier than everybody else.

I woke up this morning at, like, half five

because of the girls. The girls waking us up, saying,

"Come on, we have to be early."

By the end of the day, we were all tired. We planned to go.

We came back and had a little sleep. Catch up on the rest.

Your team had the opportunity to practise for the archery competition,

which is important today, and didn't bother.

I'm not happy about it. I don't want to talk about that right now.

But the mentors do need to talk about how their teams are shaping up.

They'll study the scores on all the activities so far,

but they'll also be judging character

and ability to work in a team.

At the end of the week,

the mentors will have to eliminate four out of eight competitors,

leaving one boy and one girl from each age group -

under 14s and under 16s.

It's time for the mid-week assessment with Greg.

-If you look at the data itself.

-Stats don't lie, do they?

-No, mate.

On paper, statistically Sophie is outscoring Emily every time.

Fraser was excellent at the bleep test, won that out and out,

but when it comes to new skills and pressure,

I think he tries that little bit too hard and he loses focus.

The ability to control under pressure is everything.

Ellen and Louise - one is this sprint-power-based athlete

and the other, Louise, is endurance-based.

And you need all of that when it comes to the Games themselves.

Morgan is small, but she's powerful

but she is slower and not as strong as Hannah.

What you're looking for is that ultimate team of four

for your sports day team.

This is not just about athletic ability.

You're looking for the ones that can lift their game

and really do something.

Next time on Ultimate Sports Day, the mentors will make their teams

face the harsh reality of the competition.

Take a seat.

It's not so much about the team any more,

you've got to keep remembering it's individual.

I know you're going to be a winner in the future,

but I want you to be a winner now.

You've got to pick your game up, you know that?

It's time for everyone to start getting a little bit more competitive

within the group.

We're friends, I don't want to change that, but there's rivalry.

Go! Come on, count them out! Count them out!

Putting in all that work

and then not to get through, it would be so annoying.

Nice and low!

Start turning it on, you are playing for a place in your country.

They're all 50-50, this is why it's going to come down to the wire.

I've got to explain to those I haven't picked

why I haven't picked them and that's going to be the difficulty.

They'll find it hard to sleep tonight.

It really is doing me in.

Come on!

In these next two days, I have to give everything.

I just have to push my body further and further.

Everyone's got to push it up a bit more to get a place in that team.

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