Bargh bags Euro medal double

Cathy Bargh won two silver medals at the 2014 European Senior Badminton Championships

The Sedlescombe-based talent was runner-up in the over-50 women’s singles and doubles in the Portuguese city of Caldas da Rainha.

It was Bargh’s fourth consecutive singles medal in the continent-wide event having won silver in 2008 (in Spain), and bronze in 2010 (in Ireland) and 2012 (in Bulgaria).

Despite her sustained success in the singles, Bargh - who also won singles bronze at the 2013 World Championships in Turkey - had never previously won a European doubles medal.

Bargh was seeded two in the singles and after a first round bye, she comfortably saw off Waltraud Kronsteiner (Austria) 21-7, 21-9 in round two last Wednesday.

The quarter-final against Irish player Pam Peard the following evening proved to be a really tough battle before Bargh eventually edged through 21-17, 22-24, 21-18.

That set up a semi-final on Friday evening against Ye Wang and although unseeded, the German had put out Dutch 3/4 seed Sandra Kroon in the quarter-finals. Bargh stamped her authority on the match early and ran out a 21-9, 21-15 victor.

The final on Saturday was against old adversary and number one seed Lone Knudsen (Denmark), who at that stage hadn’t dropped a set.

Knudsen beat Bargh - a professional badminton coach at Freedom Leisure Summerfields in Hastings - in straight sets at the 98th All

England Seniors 2014 during April, but this meeting was far closer.

Bargh took the opening game 21-18 and came close to winning her first European gold medal in the second before Knudsen edged it 21-19, and the Dane went on to clinch the decider 21-12.

After a first round bye in the doubles, Bargh and Vickers overcame the French pair of Martine Cornier and Judith Laskowski 21-12, 21-12 in the last 16 on Thursday.

They then pulled off a splendid 21-13, 21-13 victory over English 3/4 seeds Debbie Rigby and Janet Walker in Friday’s quarter-final.

Their smooth progress continued in the semi-finals later the same day with a 21-16, 21-9 triumph against the Danish combination of Helle Sjoerring and Annette Vollertzen, who had upset top seeds Peard and Sian Williams in the last eight.

Bargh and Vickers were narrowly beaten 18-21, 16-21 in the final, however, by English second seeds Sue Crompton and Viv Gillard.