WORCESTER’S successful female athletes joined Great Britain at the European Masters Championships near Venice.

Team GB finished third in the medal table out of 40 countries with eight shared by the city’s Iris Holder, Melanie Garland and Becky Selvey.

Holder was Worcester’s star performer with third in the 75-79 year 100 metres in 18.93 seconds, second in the long jump with 3m and first in the triple jump with 6.42m.

Both her jumps were season's bests and Holder added silver in the 75 4x100m relay team behind the Germans who set a new European record.

Worcester veteran women’s team captain Garland qualified through the heats of the 55-59 100m before coming seventh in the final in 14.49.

Garland went one better in the high jump in sixth with 1.32m.

She was then third in both the triple jump with 9.48m and the long jump with 4.53m for two bronze medals.

Garland added a silver with the 55 4x100m relay team who finished in 55.26 ahead of Italy.

Selvey progressed through the 45-49 800m heats and was seventh in the final in 2.33.20 which was one of her best times this season.

She picked up a silver medal with the 4x400m relay team who clocked 4.15.86.

Jan Timberlake, despite suffering an allergic reaction to the Italian mosquitoes, was 13th in the 50-54 long jump with 4.04m, seventh in the triple jump with 8.34m and 11th in the discus with 22.33m.

Angela Bryant finished 12th in the 55-59 100m in 15.41 and ninth in the 200m in 32.59 but narrowly missed out on the finals.

Thoughts now turn to the European Masters Indoor Championships in Portugal next March.