ISLAY Watson, the reigning youth world champion, narrowly missed the 10-athlete medal race in the girls’ competition finishing 11th overall at the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina.

However, the disappointment for Watson, who trains at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, will be tempered by the announcement this week that she has been picked for the British Sailing Team.

Teenage windsurfer Finn Hawkins won Great Britain’s first individual medal at the games, taking home bronze.

The 15-year-old from St Austell, Cornwall, secured the medal by finishing third in the 13th and final race of the boy’s windsurfing class.

Hawkins finished the regatta 10 points behind silver medallist Nicolo Renna of Italy, but 10 ahead of fourth-placed Tomer Vardimon from Israel.

The gold medal was won by Kalpo Kalpogiannakis from Greece.

Hawkins and Watson were among 42 British athletes aged between 14 and 18 chosen to compete in 17 sports over 12 days of action.

The pair were supported at the Youth Olympics by British Youth Sailing coach Oli Woodcock, an experienced windsurfer with a proven track record for nurturing young athletes.

Woodcock said: “What a year it’s been for both Islay and Finn.

“Islay has worked so hard and won the youth worlds but unfortunately this week it wasn’t to be.”