Hundreds of potential world-beating female athletes from across the UK –including 52 from Scotland – are being recruited for fast-tracking for Olympic glory in four years' time.

But instead of getting elite training in sports they already compete in, the young women will be tested and then matched up with Olympic sports best suited to their build, fitness and talent.

The Girls4Gold programme - aimed at female athletes between the ages of 17 and 25 – is part of a bid to dramatically increase the UK's medal tally at the next Olympics.

The organisers believe that many athletes are in the "wrong" sport but would excel in others given the right advice, coaching and preparation.

One example is 21-year-old Shelley Rudman, who switched from a modest career in track running to the bob-skeleton event and won silver at the 2006 Winter Olympics, just three years after taking up the sport. Her speed in pushing off her bob skeleton at the start gave her a winning advantage.

Girls4Gold is the most extensive female talent recruitment drive ever undertaken in Great Britain and will target sports that female athletes are known to do well in: cycling, canoeing, rowing, sailing, modern pentathlon and bob skeleton.

UK sports bosses believe British athletes could get to fourth place in the medals table if our athletes are prepared properly and follow in the footsteps of Olympic medallists such as cyclists Nicole Cook and Victoria Pendleton, sailor Shirley Robertson and rower Katherine Grainger.

The Girls4Gold applicants must have taken part already in a sport at a minimum of county or regional level and be "fit, powerful and strong; mentally tough and competitive".

The first hurdle for the young Scots will be to get through initial sessions being held at Loughborough and Manchester later this month that will test physical strength, speed and endurance. Their physiques will be matched to certain events and their mental strength assessed by psychological experts.

Those shortlisted will then progress to Phase Two for more specific testing in the target sports. If successful, they will be given UK Sport support with access to top-class coaching in the run up the next Games.

UK Sport spokewoman Jessica Whitehorn said: "People may be good at sport but may not have chosen the sport they have the potential to be best in.

"There is a lot of chance involved when people take up sport and most stick to what they stumbled across in school and may not have had the opportunity since to try out different things.

"Some may never have tried rowing or sailing but find that they are absolutely right for them. The testing programme will give us the opportunity to find out what people are capable of. We hope to find some of our Olympic medallists of the future."

One of the successful applicants for the Manchester session is 20-year-old Ciara Baxter, a student at Dundee University. She was a schoolgirl swimmer at regional level and is currently a potential member of Scotland's female rugby squad.

"We got an e-mail at university about Girls4Gold and it seemed too good an opportunity to miss," she said.

"I just want to see whether I have the potential to become an Olympian and it is not often you get the chance to mix with Olympic athletes and coaches."

Her current training regime is punishing by most standards. She goes to the gym every day and tops that up with rugby training.

"I have always had a sport on the go and endurance is probably one of my strongest points. I like the idea of cycling and as I have already done swimming that could be good for the modern pentathlon (fencing, swimming, running, pistol shooting and show jumping). You never know, I might have hidden talents."

Alongside her in Manchester will be Jennifer McBride, from Edinburgh, who was part of the Scottish under-18 rowing squad and is now a physiology and sports science student at the University of Glasgow.

"I was quite surprised to be picked but it would be amazing if I could go on from there because I would love to be an athlete," said 20-year-old Jennifer. "I just might not have found the sport I'm best at as yet."

World champion cycle sprinter Victoria Pendleton, a firm supporter of the Girls4Gold initiative and a lynchpin of the women's team at the Beijing Olympics, has Rebecca Romero alongside her in China.

Her team-mate was a medal-winning rower before switching to cycling, proving that athletes can successfully adapt.

She said: "Girls4Gold is a fantastic opportunity. Many people dream of representing their country or taking part in the Olympics.

"This is the best opportunity some will get to make it come true."