Luce Douady: French 16-year-old climber dies from fall

A 16-year-old future star of the climbing world has died after falling from a cliff in south-eastern France.

Luce Douady was heading to an unexplored sector of a cliff near Grenoble when she slipped and fell from the approach path, French media report.

Her body has been recovered and an investigation opened, according to Le Dauphiné. The exact circumstances of her death are unclear.

Tributes have been paid from the world of professional sports climbing.

The sport's governing body the International Federation of Sport Climbing called her a "young, brilliant and talented athlete".

French climbing site Grimper called her the "future of climbing".

After winning youth events Douady moved on to senior competition.

Aged just 15, she made her debut appearance on the IFSC Boulder World Cup circuit, finishing fifth.

Bouldering requires competitors to try to climb fixed routes within a time limit. It is one of the disciplines when sports climbing makes its debut at next year's rescheduled Tokyo Olympics.