Kate French takes part in the Modern Pentathlon World Junior Championships this week in Argentina.

The teenager from Gravesend (pictured) is currently ranked 12th in the world.

Great Britain have just returned from the European championships in Poland, where French finished joint eighth, and she is aiming to maintain those high standards in South America.

She said: "I would really like to be in the top 10 again and then to pick up some team medals as well."

French, who trains with the rest of the squad at the Pentathlon GB High Performance Centre at the University of Bath, is joined by three other junior women – all of whom are in the top 25 in the world.

For the senior competitors the ultimate goal will be London 2012 but French, who is one day hoping to emulate Stephanie Cook’s gold winning performance during the Sydney 2000 Olympics, knows she has to be realistic.

The juniors have been in training with Heather Fell, who won silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

French said: "I’m hoping for 2016, 2012 is pretty close and I am still a junior and the girls group is so tough."

The world junior championships begins on Thursday with the women’s semi-final. The final is on Saturday.