Leamington recurve archer Naomi Folkard put in a tremendous performance at the British Target Championships last weekend, not only easily winning the event, but also putting a massive number of points on to the national records for the Hereford and Double Hereford rounds.

The two-day event at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre involved, each day, the traditional 12 dozen arrow English rounds: for the ladies the Hereford round (6 dozen at 80 yds, 4 dozen at 60yds and 2 dozen at 50 yds), and for the men, the York round (100 yds, 80 yds and 60 yds).

Naomi shot with amazing accuracy both days, gaining 1250 and 1252 points out of a possible 1296. Both days she beat her own national record for the single round of 1234 set back in 2002. She also increased her own national record for the Double Hereford, achieved in 2000 at the age of 16, from 2416 to 2502.

Fellow GB international Emma Downie (Edinburgh University) took second place with a total of 2386, and another Warwickshire lady, Philippa Lowe (Meriden) was third with 2315. Lowe was a member of the selected England team which won first place in the Home Nations recurve event. Both Folkard and Lowe were in the 4 man West Midlands team which won the Regional recurve team event.

Other Warwickshire archers putting in commendable performances were compounds, Garry Fowler (Meriden) 6th with 2462 and Adam Ravenscroft 9th with 2443.

Folkard who finished 11th in the Athens Olympics in 2004, graduated from Birmingham University in 2005 and has since concentrated on her archery full time. She has gone from strength to strength, with successes in outdoor target, indoor target and field archery: silver at the Commonwealth Archery Championships in November 2007; bronze at the World Indoor Championships in March 2007; and bronze at the World Field Championships in September 2006. In addition she was part of the three man team to win bronze at the World Championships in Leipzig last month and the three man team to win gold at the World Cup in Dover two weeks ago. She is now in Beijing for the Olympic test event.

Folkard is sponsored by local firms, solicitors Wright Hassall and estate agent Malcolm Hawkesford.