U.K. teen weightlifter honored

LONDON, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- The British Olympic Association named a 14-year-old girl its Athlete of the Year in weightlifting.

London's Zoe Smith is already considered the strongest girl in Britain just two years after switching from gymnastics to weightlifting.

She was honored by the association along with Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy and tennis player Andy Murray.

"To say I was shocked is a bit of an understatement," Smith told The Times of London. "Seeing my name on a list as an equal alongside all the big names from this year's Olympics was unbelievable."

The newspaper said Tuesday that while Smith was too young to compete in last year's Olympics in China, she is considered a shoo-in for a spot on the British team for the 2012 London games.