JULIE Hicken has won a medal at the World Masters Athletics Championships in Sweden.
Her performance in reaching the semi-finals of the 100m in the 60-64 age group at the Slottsskogsvallen Stadium in Gothenburg led to selection in the Great Britain 4x100m relay team which achieved the silver medals.
The time of 57.68secs is the third fastest run by a Great Britain 60-64 age group team, with Warrington Athletics Club's Hicken running the anchor leg after foundations had been laid by Mel Garland, Janice Elliott and Sandra Mitusch.
The 60-year-old, who is coached by her husband Phil, then progressed through the 200m heats on Monday, clocking a personal best masters time of 30.51secs.
But in her 7.20am semi-final in cold and windy conditions on Tuesday she finished sixth in 31.07secs, which proved to be 0.37 seconds outside of reaching the final.
Hicken headed out to Sweden in great form, having restarted training 11 months ago after a five-year break.
She won bronze in the 60-64 age group of the British Masters Championships 100m in Derby last month, clocking 14.98secs, before adding a silver medal in the 200m, with her time of 30.51secs being her fastest ever as a masters athlete and setting a new Northern Masters record for her age group.
In her 100m heat in Gothenburg, Hicken finished third with 15.07secs and then placed sixth in her semi-final with 14.99secs.
Clubmate Steve Watmough is also entered in the World Masters Championships in the same age group and will be due to run in the half marathon on Saturday.
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