Rachel Ogden believes she is on course to qualify for the Commonwealth Games after victory in the South of England Association Senior Championships.

The Worthing and District Harrier won the 800m title at Ashford on Sunday with a time of 2min.04.30sec.

Crawley AC runner Charlotte Best finished second in 2min.04.95sec with Ogden's team-mate Phillipa Aukett fourth in 2min.11.88sec.

Ogden's personal best time is 2min.03.93sec, which is some way short of the 2min.02sec she needs to clock by September for a place on the plane to Melbourne next March as part of England's Commonwealth team.

But following victories in the Sussex Championship and Inter Counties Championships last month, Ogden is confident she can make the grade.

She said: "It is important to keep building confidence so to win was very pleasing. It carries on my good form and, hopefully, I can keep it up.

"I was quite pleased with the time, although it is still a long way off what I need for the Commonwealth Games.

"My target is not just to run 2.2 but to try and get sub 2.2 and I believe I can make it.

"One girl has already got it and although Kelly (Holmes) has not got it yet, she will. I've just got to keep trying to improve with every race and, hopefully, it will come."

Ogden has set her sights on beating her personal best time at the British Milers Club Grand Prix in Solihull this weekend.

She said: "I am confident I can do it. I am getting stronger all the time and I think I now have a realistic chance of beating it.

"It is only a minor race this weekend but it looks like there is going to be a pretty strong field so, hopefully, I will get pulled along.

"It depends on how the race is run tactically because I will need to be in the right place at the right time to beat it."

The other Sussex event winner of last weekend's championships was Brighton-based Tim Bayley in the 1,500m.

The Belgrave Harrier clocked 3min.50.92secs to win by almost two seconds. Crawley AC's Dannielle Christmas finished second in the senior women's 1,500m after running 4min.32.76secs, her second fastest time.

Rachel Basford, of Lewes AC, came third in the senior women's hammer with a distance of 47.13m.

Sussex high-jumper Julia Bennett played a part in helping Great Britain's women gain promotion to the European Cup Super League in Portugal on Sunday.

The 35-year-old from Haywards Heath was a surprise call-up to the British side following six-year absence but she did not disappoint, claiming vital points by clearing 1.85m to finish fourth.

Crawley pole vaulter Nick Buckfield suffered heartbreak as Britain's men were relegated to European first league status in Florence.

Buckfield cleared 5.20m but failed at 5.40m to continue his inconsistent season.

In the wake of that relegation, Britain's leading male athletes have been accused of giving "unacceptable" performances in the European Cup by the man charged with improving standards.

UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins said: "It's disappointing for the men's team and everyone involved.

"The level of performance from most of the men was unacceptable. As a matter of course every individual performance is reviewed win or lose.

"We lacked strength in depth and until our individual performances come together we will struggle as a team."