Stratford AC’s Paula Williams claims hat-trick of medals at European Masters Athletic Stadia Championships

Stratford AC’s Paula Williams bagged a trio of medals following a string of superb performances at the European Masters Athletic Stadia Championships in Madeira.

Alongside clubmates Phil Brennan and Dave Wilson, Williams helped Great Britain top the medal table, among the 4,177 masters and veteran athletes taking part.

Williams started with the javelin, winning bronze. She then got through her hurdles heat to book a place in the final, finishing fifth.

Next it was the 100m heats and just five minutes later it was the shot put. Williams got through the 100m heats, to reach the semi-finals, which was her goal.

In the shot put she won gold with a throw of 13.63, a 21cm margin over the second placed competitor.

In the 100m semi she was sixth. It was then the weight throws pentathlon, finishing fifth in only her second ever weight throws pentathlon.

In the W50 4x100m relay, she helped secure a silver medal for GB in a new British record, finishing the championships with gold, silver and bronze medals.

For Brennan, it was a busy start. Due to scheduling changes he found himself entered for both the 1500m and cross country on the same day.

Cross country was his priority because of the chance of a team medal, but he felt there was enough time between events for a reasonable recovery.

The cross country course was a six-time 1k loop. However, he had concerns that at 4,000ft above sea level his lack of acclimatisation might be an issue.

Brennan started off slowly due to the altitude and he helped secure the team gold for GB, finishing sixth individual in the cross country.

It was then on to the track, finishing seventh in 800m,1500m and 5,000m.

Finally, it was a brutal night time 10k, resulting in team silver for GB, ensuring Brennan returned home with silver and bronze medals.

For Wilson this was his third international competition of the year and he was taking part in very competitive M55 100m and 200m races.

He got through his heat of the 100m to reach the semi-final in a time of 13.26, despite a strong headwind, a performance he was pleased with considering there were 52 competitors in his age category.

He failed to progress to the final, but reaching the semis was a great result for him.

The 200m was even more competitive with 56 athletes taking part. Wilson wasn’t able to progress to the semi-finals and would have needed a season's best to have beaten the four athletes ahead of him.

Meanwhile, Stratford AC’s Rachel Pearce finished an impressive fifth when representing Great Britain in the World Triathlon Age Group Championships in Australia.

The event began with the Parade of Nations, with athletes from 73 countries walking through streets.

The 1500m swim started inside the sheltered harbour where the water was calm and smooth.

Pearce then headed beyond the harbour walls, where it quickly became choppy and unpredictable.

While not enjoying much experience in these kinds of sea conditions, Pearce felt positive after coming out of the water in 10th place.

The 40km bike was a three-lap course, mixing fast flats with technical turns. It was a brilliant route to ride and the atmosphere was fantastic.

The 10km run was a three-lap route with some solid climbs. Pearce managed to move through the field, running the second-fastest split behind Olympian Michellie Jones, to finish fifth overall and first Briton home.

This result gives Pearce automatic qualification for next year’s World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain.