ATHLETICS.

Epsom and Ewell international sisters Julia and Diana Bennett led the way home in the five-event women's pentathlon in the AAA indoor championships at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham.

There was intense rivalry between the two sisters as they fought for the lead.

Diana went ahead as she took the opening event, the 60 metres hurdles in 8.64 sec, fractionally faster than Julia's 8.83 sec.

A superb high jump effort of 1.84 metres then took Julia ahead and she managed to keep her nose in front with 11.91 metres in the shot, a winning 6.03 metres in the long jump and 2 min 21.13 sec in the 800 metres.

Diana was never far behind though, and she ended well by winning the 800 metres in 2:17.88 after high jumping 1.78 metres, putting the shot 10.79 metres and long jumping 5.81 metres. At the end of the five- hour contest, Julia took the title with 4,297 points, 131 ahead of Diana.

Richmond and Twickenham's Jimenez Joseph was in ninth spot on 2,960 points.

Belgrave Harriers' recruit Ben Challenger showed tremendous form in the high jump. Challenger, who will be donning the claret and gold vest this summer cleared a personal best of 2.27 metres.

But there was disappointment for Worcester Park-based Richard Aspden who was eighth on 2.03 metres and Bel clubmate Dwain Chambers.

Despite holding the world junior 100 metres record, Chambers had to concede the 60 metres title to Haringey's Darren Braithwaite by one hundredth of a second. Chambers clocked 6.58 sec in silver medal position.

Chambers also went out in the 200 metres semi-finals where he clocked 21.26 sec for the sixth fastest time.

Belgrave's World championships hurdler Andy Tulloch was runner-up in the 60 metres hurdles in 7.66 sec.

Steve Baldock was pipped in the 400 metres in 46.11 sec to take the silver medal. Surrey champion Mike Parper was sixth in 49.11 sec.

Hampton-based Ben Whitby was sixth in the 3,000 metres in 8 min 13.28 sec. Epsom and Ewell's Louise Schramm was equal fifth in the pole vault.

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