Classy Mariana, 14, delights at Games time

BEIJING (Reuters) - Only her girlish plastic bracelets and glee at missing school work give Mexican archer Mariana Avitia away as being years younger than her rivals on Beijing's Olympic archery green.

At 14 years and 11 months, Avitia is one of the youngest athletes at this month's Olympics -- although her toned physique and statuesque poise as she lines up the bullseye make her look more mature.

"It's brilliant. It's really exciting," she told Reuters, clasping an ice pack to a sore shoulder after a practice session in Beijing's sweltering afternoon heat for the women's individual archery event.

"Kids of my age are studying right now. My friends are doing school work and I should be too but I'm here and it feels great," said Avitia, who had already escaped school classes for home study to fit in with her training schedule.

PURE DETERMINATION

One of a string of teenagers at the 2008 Summer Games, most of them gymnasts and swimmers, Avitia is eight months older than British diver Tom Daley, also 14, and says it was pure determination that got her here.

"To be competing at 14 is truly surprising and I feel great pride to be representing Mexico," she said.

Avitia first picked up a bow aged seven, inspired by her elder brother, after tiring of swimming and speedskating classes.

Within six months she had won a second-place medal in a nine-meter indoor contest in Mexico and then worked her way up to the 2007 Pan-American games in Rio de Janeiro, where she came 10th.

"It's not a very common sport. It's one that involves a lot of concentration. It's quite elegant. It's a very pretty sport," she said of her pursuit.

Behind her, bows quivered and arrows whooshed from archers from countries as diverse as Belarus and Bhutan, a world away from the Mexican business city of Monterrey where Avitia likes to play video games and chat online with friends.

Her parents are flying out to see her compete but will leave her to hang out with her team mates and trainers, eating the local food and getting used to Beijing's sticky humidity, she said.

"I get on really well with my team mates, it's like a family."

(editing by Jon Bramley)