Elise stars for GB in France

Elise Lovell leads the way in the outside lane for Great Britain & Northern Ireland in France

The Hastings Athletic Club all-rounder continued her red hot summer form at the European Cup Combined Events Super League in the French city of Aubagne.

Lovell scored 5,255 points in the women’s heptathlon, eclipsing her previous best of 5,197 which she set in winning the England Athletics Combined Events Championships during May.

The 23-year-old’s total placed her 21st overall and second of the four British athletes. She beat 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jess Taylor, who had a fall in the hurdles, and, for the first time, Jo Rowland. Jess Tappin was the leading GB & NI performer in 16th.

Lovell said: “It went really well. When I got there I was told I was going to be the fourth best girl so to be second was a little bit of a shock.”

Competing outside the UK for the first time and in track temperatures of 37C, Lovell set big PBs in the 200m and 100m hurdles, clocking the fourth and sixth fastest times in those events respectively.

Her efforts helped GB & NI - whose squad also contained four men’s decathletes - finish sixth of the eight competing countries and narrowly avoid relegation. GB & NI finished just 38 points ahead of seventh-placed Holland.

She added: “It’s the best season I’ve ever had. When I started this season I didn’t think I would be picked for GB and I’ve done that, and to get a PB is amazing.”

Hastings AC trains at the Ark William Parker Academy athletics track on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sessions are 6-7pm for under-11s and 6.30pm onwards for everyone else. Contact Terry Skelton for more information on 07711 777363.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make this website your homepage

2 Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/Sport-Sussex

3 Follow us on Twitter @SportSussex

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!