Derham is the English champion

ZOE Derham can now start her preparations to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games in the Indian capital of New Delhi in October.

That is the verdict of her coach Lorraine Shaw after seeing the Quedgeley athlete win the hammer at the England Athletics Championships in Gateshead.

UK number one Derham won with some ease, and a best throw of 64.26 metres was the eighth time the 29-year-old has surpassed the qualifying standard of 62m this season.

While the England team will not be confirmed until next month, Shaw is sure that Derham will be in the squad.

Shaw said: “Zoe has done the qualifying several times and at the moment she is the only one of the top three who is fit and ready to go.”

Derham’s gold was one of four medals won by county athletes at Gateshead.

There were two silvers for Gloucester AC’s Gemma Turtle in the 1500m and Forest of Dean athlete Richard Davenport in the 400m hurdles, and also a bronze for Stroud and District AC’s Emily Pidgeon in the 1500m.

Turtle’s silver was particularly impressive as she was in hospital in the days leading up to the event after suffering a bad eye infection from wearing contact lenses.

“I was astonished Gemma did so well as she is on antibiotics for the eye infection and only decided to run as she had already booked the train, hotel and time off work,” said coach David Farrow.

England Athletics Championships, senior women: 1500 1 Stevie Stockton (Vale) 4.20.93, 2 Gemma Turtle (Gloucs) 4.21.68, 3 Emily Pidgeon (Stroud) 4:22.86; Hammer 1 Zoe Derham (Birch) 64.26.

Senior men 110H 8 Joe Hylton (Birch) 14.9 (hts 14.84 -2.8w; 400H 1 David Hughes (Sale) 49.73, 2 Richard Davenport (NEB) 50.22.