A CLIMBER from Horsell won the under-14 boys’ category of the La Sportiva British Mountaineering Council Junior British Bouldering Championships.

Rhys Conlon, aged 12, starred in the competition at the HarroWall Climbing Centre.

Conlon, who attends Woking High School, is a member of the Great Britain national development squad.

In Harrow, he stole the show in the Male C class, for boys born in 2006 and 2007, which attracted 31 competitors.

He told the News & Mail: “I was hoping for another podium finish but I didn’t expect to win because all the best boulder specialists were there. I’m really chuffed.”

Bouldering is a division of sport climbing, which will make its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games next year.

The 2020 Olympics will feature bouldering, speed climbing and lead climbing. The Games’ website says: “Sport climbing takes the challenge of scaling steep ascents to a whole new level. Climbers use brightly coloured hand, finger and foot holds, their climbing skills and all the strength their bodies can muster to work their way up a near-vertical wall.”

Rhys' long-term aims are to continue competing internationally, and to target outdoor climbing projects around Europe.

For the full story get the 4 July edition of the News & Mail