High achiever

Record holder Ava has heart set on 2028 Games in LA

- JOHN DINGWALL

A TEENAGER has set her sights on the Olympics after becoming Britain’s fastest female climber.

Ava Hamilton, 17, has already become one of Europe’s leading speedclimbers after taking up the sport while at school.

Now she is determined to make Team GB for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Speed climbing is a relatively new sport that involves tackling a wall of up to 15m (50ft) in races lasting mere seconds, with the world record standing at 4.798 seconds.

After beating the UK women’s record this year at the European Championships in 8.64 seconds, Ava, who lives in Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire, said: “I was really happy but also so relieved.

“I’d done it quite a few times in practice but not loads and this was a personal best.”