HILLINGDON team leader Yolanda Edwards has tipped up-and-coming swimmer Karley Mann to lead the borough to glory at this summer’s Balfour Beatty London Youth Games.

Edwards, Hillingdon Council’s sports development officer, will lead the borough, one of 33, at the finals day in July as they bid to repeat a successful 2010 performance that saw them win the girls’ swimming title.

One of the team to help claim the title in the pool was Harefield Academy pupil Mann, who then went on to claim 200m backstroke gold at the European Junior Championships in Helsinki just weeks later.

Mann also claimed 4x100m medley silver and 100m backstroke bronze in Finland and with her back for this year’s Games, Edwards believes she will be the one to watch as Hillingdon bid for more success.

“This is my first year in charge of Hillingdon at the London Youth Games and I am really looking forward to it,” said 27-year-old Edwards, who is a member of Hillingdon Triathletes.

“I’ve been involved before but never really at this sort of level so it will be exciting to see how we do. We are really hopeful of doing well in the swimming, judo, sailing and cycling.

“A couple of ones to watch out for on our team are Sky Draper who has won the aquathon every year she has entered, and Karley who has won European junior swimming medals.

“These two girls are just a couple of great talents in what I hope will be a really strong team.”

Last year Hillingdon finished ninth overall as the Jubilee Trophy went to Bromley, who edged out Croydon and 2009 winners Havering into second and third respectively.

Edwards insists that the final placings pale into comparison with the surge in community sport brought about by the London Youth Games, but she is expecting Hillingdon to be battling it out for the medals in a number of sports.

“Last year we did better than we have done before but still came lower in the overall table so we are hoping to move up a bit this year,” she added.

“We have consistently been the top West London borough so we would like to remain there too.”

Balfour Beatty is committed to helping raise the aspirations, motivation and attainment levels of young people in the communities in which it operates and has committed over £2million to help develop the London Youth Games until 2013.