Cornish windsurfer Izzy Hamilton made history in August by becoming the first ever British competitor to win gold at the Youth World Championships.

The 17-year-old from Bude fought off competition from 30 of the world's top young windsurfers to win the title in Bodrum, Turkey.

And after a gaining of taste success, Hamilton told BBC Sport she is now determined to go even further in the sport.

She said: "My ambition is definitely to get a gold medal at some Olympics.

"I'm going to do the qualifiers for London 2012 and see how it goes, but 2016 will probably be a bit more realistic."

A couple of weeks after her win at the Youth Worlds, Hamilton had her first experience of senior competition in September, taking to the water at the World Championships in Weymouth.

And despite her tender years, Hamilton excelled herself, finishing in the top 30.

She said: "I finished 21st which I was really happy about.

"It was all the best people in the world competing so they split the fleets into gold and silver.

"I was just hoping to be in gold fleet which is the top 30 and so finishing 21st overall was really surprising but I was also really happy."

British number one, Bryony Shaw, was also in action in Weymouth, finishing sixth overall, with Spaniard Marina Alabau claiming the title.

For Hamilton, the chance to compete against the world's top windsurfers was an invaluable experience.

"I've only ever done youth events before, so entering the seniors is a good way to compare yourself and now I know that level is achievable," she said.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version