She is a rising Scottish star in water sports.
And now, Aviemore youngster Islay Watson has made history by becoming the first under-21 world champion in the iQFOIL windsurfing class – which is the newest discipline in Olympic sailing.
Watson had already served notice of her potential when she was a youth world champion in 2018 and has now progressed to the stage where she will be a genuine medal contender in future Olympic competitions.
She was also the top British female at the iQFOIL International Games, which were held at the picturesque Lake Garda in Italy, where the Scot finished seventh overall in the 66-strong women’s fleet.
It has been a tough year for all the competitors as they have struggled to adapt to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Watson was in her element as she defeated her rivals.
She said: “The event has been a huge challenge, but I have learned a lot from racing against the best in the world.
”It is very encouraging to see from these results that the hard training I have done in the UK over this year has been effective.
“Hopefully, I can continue to improve on these results in the future and keep working towards the end goal of a medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.”
