A sustained period of good form has helped Falkirk shooter Jennifer McIntosh's selection to the British team competing in the third Rifle and Pistol World Cup event of the season in Fort Benning, USA later this month.

One of a select number of juniors competing at this level, this will be the Aberdeen based 18 year old's first World Cup.

"This is something I was working towards so I'm excited but a little bit nervous to be selected," said McIntosh who will compete in the women's Prone and the Air Rifle events.

"The World Cup is a series of four competitions run throughout the year. It's almost like a grand prix; ten day long competitions run at different venues, with no separate junior event, it's all seniors.

"World Cups are important for Olympic selection, not for this year but for next where the quota places for Olympics will be available."

McIntosh has had a fine run this year, reeling off a series of victories and results which have given her qualifying scores in three events for October's Delhi Commonwealth Games*.

In March she had met the Scottish team's pre selection result for both Prone and 3P and in last month's Scottish Airgun Championships she had effectively achieved the full house: "I got my qualification score in the Air Rifle so potentially there are three different events which I can compete in at Delhi."

Becoming a full time athlete this season has made a big difference for McIntosh. When at home she is coached by Sinclair Bruce, and when away at tournaments by her father, Donald McIntosh, sportscotland's Performance Programme Manager for Shooting.

Integral to her programme is the Grampian Institute of Sport, part of sportscotland's institute network which focuses on preparing Scotland's best athletes to perform on the world stage by providing high performance expertise (fellow institute supported athletes from Aberdeenshire have made World Cup teams - Neil Stirton for Men's Prone and 3P, Shona Marshall for the Women's Trap).

"Strength & Conditioning makes a huge difference both physically and mentally and I'm working hard in the gym with the institute," said McIntosh, who was in between competitions in Germany and the Czech Republic yesterday.

"I'm getting a lot of help from the sports psychologist Kris Dunn and I'm finding it really helpful. It helps me stay calm and keep control going through a shoot, even if it's not going well."

Being so far ahead for the Delhi selection process she is not letting things go to her head.

"I have achieved the selection score for the events I want to compete in at Delhi so in some ways it does take a bit of a load off my mind," she said.

"Now I need to keep focussing on shooting good scores to make more of a case."