LASHAM’S Liz Sparrow has been confirmed as the world’s leading female glider pilot following the publication of the latest International Gliding Commission ranking list.

She was confirmed in top spot following her second place in the UK Club Class National Championships. Sparrow, pictured right, is an experienced international competitor who has finished in the top five in each of the last three Women’s World Gliding Championships.

This is the second time that a female UK glider pilot has been ranked number one in the world, with Sparrow following in the footsteps of two-time world champion Gill Spreckley.

With the publication of the latest ranking list, the UK now has three of the top 10 women pilots in the world. Spreckley is currently ranked number five, with Sparrow’s Lasham team-mate, Ayala Liran, ninth.

Team coach Brian Spreckley said: “These rankings are a great testament to the steadily increasing skills and activity levels of women in competitive gliding.

“Much of this increasing interest is the result of initiatives by the British team themselves to promote women in gliding.”