KEELBY teenager Charlotte Whitaker is gunning for a place at the 2012 Olympic Games after a superb season which has seen her crowned as British Junior Women's Air Rifle Champion.

The 18-year-old had only been competing with air rifles for nine months when she secured victory in a tense shoot-out in London.

She then fired her way to two gold medals, a silver and two bronzes at the Junior International competition in Bisley.

Representing Great Britain, she was part of winning teams in the prone rifle and three-position rifle events.

Her silver came in the women's air rifle section and her two bronzes in the individual air event and three-position air team competition.

And now she has made an impression on the international stage, the 2012 Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games are in her sights.

Her dad Darren said: "The 2014 Commonwealth Games are the target but the team has not yet been announced for 2012 and at the rate she's going, you never know.

"To shoot at such an event has always been a dream which seemed so out of reach but now seems within reach."

At the British Championships, there was just 0.1 of a point separating the first three.

Charlotte explained: "After each round, the scoreboard updates so spectators can follow what is going on.

"The shooters do not look at it, though, as it can destroy you if you start trying to add it all up.

"I only knew I had won when everyone started running towards me.

"My dad was in tears, he couldn't watch the final."

Although Charlotte had only been shooting air rifles for a relatively short time before her success, she had been shooting .22 rifles for five years previous to that.

She was introduced to the sport by her grandmother, Janet. Her older sister, Sophie, also shoots.

Charlotte recently received confirmation that she will continue on the England Shooting Academy scheme.

This entails travelling to Wolverhampton every 2-3 months for intensive training, fitness tests and lifestyle advice.

She continued: "I have got a Junior International competition in London coming up soon, in which I will be competing against girls from South Africa, Germany and Denmark.

"Ultimately I would love to be picked for the Commonwealth Games."

This year's Games take place in Delhi, India, next month.

Meanwhile, the talented shooter is now nearing the end of her hairdressing course at the Grimsby Institute.

After completion of her studies, she hopes to be a mobile hairdresser, which will give her added flexibility to combine work with training and competition. Charlotte is sponsored by Skin Solutions International's Caroleann Sinclair.