19 years old, Sheffield based, Shauna Coxsey has started this years World Cup Bouldering Competition with a string of superb results and now, at the halfway point in the series is in with a great chance of making the podium at the end of the season.

Shauna Coxsey competing at the World Cup at Sheffield in 2011 Copyright Ian Parnell

The series kicked off on the 13th April at Chongqing in China where after qualifying in third place Shauna managed fourth place in the finals, with Japan's Akiyo Noguchi taking the win. The following weekend the World Cup moved to Log Dragomer in Slovenia where Shauna managed her best placing ever (the highest ever by any British female competitor) coming second to local favourite Mina Markovic.

Finally capping a hectic three weeks the third round of the World Cup was held in Vienna, Austria where once again Shauna showed her strength and consistency with another fourth place. Noguchi again took the win which puts her in pole position in the series with three events remaining. With Shauna lying in fourth place overall but only six points behind a series podium position (190 to third place's 196) the next few events promise to be very exciting from a British perspective.

Shauna Coxsey competing at the World Cup held in Sheffield in 2011. Copyright Ian Parnell

Shauna is both the current bouldering and Lead British Competition Champion, last year she managed to climb Pilgrim (8A+) at Parisellas Cave, North Wales. Shauna is sponsored by Five Ten. You can read more about Shauna's climbing on her blog.