From novice shooter to Olympic hopes in three years

Shooter Libby Hart has been selected for the Team GB Olympic potential programme just three years after taking up the sport.

The 18-year-old from Jersey has joined British Shooting's programme as she aims to make the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.

Hart only took up the sport at the start of 2023, but within six months she was winning gold for Jersey at the Island Games in the women' s ISSF 10m air rifle, as well as helping her island win team silver.

"I'm really grateful that all the hard work that I've put in has been recognised," Hart told BBC Radio Jersey.

"It would be absolutely surreal," she added of her aim of reaching the Olympics in six years time.

"That's been my goal for the last few years of trying to get there and this is just another step closer to that final goal.

"Getting to the Island Games was a big thing for me because I'd never done air rifle before, which is what I won the gold at in Guernsey, which I was really surprised about."

Hart, a mechanical engineering student the University of Surrey, spends much of her free time training with the Great Britain setup as she looks to improve her talents.

She is currently ranked the top junior in the country and seventh-best in the British women's rankings.

Hart has taken up the three-position discipline, which sees shooters fire while standing, kneeling and lying on the floor.

"I've been working my way up through the squads and taking up three-position now, which I hadn't done before," she said.

"It's kind of crazy and it's a new experience and I love it.

"It's going to be an amazing experience being coached by Olympic coaches.

"I can't wait for it because this year I'm going to hopefully improve a lot and have the support from them as well as my current coaches, it's going to be really good."