SUZANNE Beardsmore maintained her position as leading lady after round three of the Enfield Race Walking League.

Beardsmore was pipped on the line by clubmate Noel Blatchford in the Pat Furey Open five-mile event at Lee Valley, but still tops the standings.

Blatchford (LV65) clocked 49mins 57secs for 17th place, while Beardsmore (LV40) recorded the same time for 18th.

  • STEVE Naylor helped Bedford & County finish fifth in the English National 12-stage Road Relay Championships at Sutton Park.

Naylor, from Combe, clocked 27mins 24secs for his 8.663km ‘long’ leg.

Bedford were 2mins 16secs outside the medals, with Naylor recording the 59th fastest time of the day.

Elysia Ridley, from Ascott-under-Wychwood, was in the Swansea Harriers team, who finished 15th in the ladies’ six-stage event.

Ridley clocked 17.36 for her three-mile leg.

  • DAVID Kuester picked up seven medals in the World Throwers Club (WTC) ‘European’ hammer championships at the Northwood stadium in Stoke-on-Trent.

Competing in the vet 65 category of the Midlands (British) Masters Throwers Group (MMTG) event, the Bicester athlete put in a solid display with the 35lb weight.

Medals were unusually awarded for the top four finishers in each event, with Kuester bagging five third places and two fourths.

Results – third places – hammer: 7.52m pb. Hammer for distance: 6.03 pb. Hammer for height: 3.80 pb. Hammer triathlon: 18.45 pb. Hammer pentathlon: 28.28 pb. Fourth places – stone putt: 4.25. Hammer with turn: 6.68 pb.