Sophie Hitchon has demonstrated that her wonderful British record in the women’s hammer was no fluke by throwing 67.00 metres at an international meeting at Halle in Germany on Saturday.

Although it was below her record 69.43m set at Bedford on the first day of the month, it is nearly a full metre further than her previous personal best set when the Blackburn Harrier (pictured right) won the World Junior Championship last summer.

*While Sophie aims for next year’s Olympic Games, Chorley Athletic Club’s Graeme Ballard is hoping to be in London as a member of the Great Britain Paralympic squad.

The 31-year-old sprinter made a belated start to his 2011 campaign following a leg injury, but showed no ill effects at the Knowsley Disability Athletics Grand Prix.

With the sprinters having to cope with strong headwinds, fast times were not possible but he finished a very close second to fellow Brit Ben Rushgrove in the 100m in 12.72 seconds and was third in the 200m in exactly 27 seconds.

The cerebral palsy sufferer will be on international duty tomorrow when he runs both sprints for Great Britain at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester.

*Blackburn Harriers Alison Leonard and Luke Evans were in action at the Lough-borough International at the weekend.

Birmingham University student Leonard was second in the 800m in a season’s best 2:06.50 while Evans was sixth in the 200m, clocking 21.6 seconds on a windy day.

Luke’s Loughborough team was third while the British Universities were fifth in a match won by the England Senior Team.

*Chorley AC athletes John Wright and Simon Townsend have each won two gold medals at the Northern Vets Track and Field Championships at a soggy Leigh.

Wright took the over 50s sprint double with 12.3 seconds in the 100m and 26.3 in the 200m.

Townsend, in the over 40s, set distances of 5.26m and 9.51m in the long and triple jumps.