ATHLETE Denise Farnham wasted no time after qualifying for the world championships in the sport of biathle. The Medway and Maidstone Athletic Club member went to Spain to train on the sand and in the sea, in preparation for the world event in Sardinia in September.

She qualified by winning the bronze medal in the 40-50 age group of the British championship at Weymouth, consisting of a 200m swim between two 1,000m road runs.

Farnham, who lives near Canterbury, won the first run in 3min 15sec, but was overtaken by two women in the swim and could not catch them on the final leg, clocking a total time of 11min 25sec.

She said: "There were 13 in my age group and the top six qualified for the world championship. The swim was tough. It is normally 100m, and the conditions in the sea were windy and rough.

"The world championship runs will be on sand rather than on tarmac. The British event was part of a series called the World Tour Biathle, but the other two tour meetings are in Morocco and Australia and there's no way I can afford to go to them."