HAMMER thrower Suzanne Roberts has been picked to represent Great Britain in an Under-23 international later this month.

Suzanne, who trains with the Keighley-based athletics development squad, will be on the GB team which takes on Spain, Russia and France at Liverpool on July 22nd.

"It is a superb achievement for Suzanne and another success for the development squad," said coach John Woodcock.

The 21-year-old was notified of her selection yesterday after an impressive performance in the Norwich Union UK Athletics event at Bedford where she threw 54.06m to put her among the top five female hammer throwers in the country. This year the women's hammer makes its debut as a full Olympic event at the Sydney games in September, and although Suzanne is unlikely to make the Olympic qualifying distance this year she is working towards other major championships.

"The qualifying distance for the Olympics is 65m and although she had made an incredible improvement on her personal best this year she is not likely to reach that," John Woodcock said.

Suzanne started her athletics career as a high jumper and went on to compete in pentathlon and heptathlon events. She later switched to the shot putt, but is now making the athletics world sit up with her success as a hammer thrower.

Alistair Clay was ninth in the 110m hurdles event at the Bedford championships and in a Northern Cup match at Middlesbrough Anthony Gill took part in the 100m and 200m events. He set a time of 10.9secs in the 100m and 22.05 in the 200m.

Oliver Brewer will be among local athletes flying the flag at the English Schools National Championships at Sheffield this weekend where he is taking part in the steeplechase. Others taking part include Ben manchester (100m hurdles), Frances Noble (Junior long jump), and Georgina Roberts (300m hurdles).

n Suzanne Roberts (right) gets into training with the hammer at Keighley's Greenhead track.