Julie Bradbury is on top of the badminton world at the age of 42.

The former English singles champion, from Drayton near Abingdon, has won the over 40 mixed doubles title at the world veteran championships in Spain.

Bradbury and her partner, Englishman Nick Ponting, captured the crown without dropping a game.

The pair, who won the All England veterans title in 2008, justified their position as the top seeds by winning the final 21-18, 21-13, even though Bradbury was suffering from injury.

“I had a calf strain and had to pull out of the women's doubles, so I could concentrate on the mixed,” she explained.

“I had it stapped up and luckily I was able to play.”

In her prime, Bradbury, a former British women's doubles and mixed doubles champion, competed at the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics, but now she plays little competitive badminton.

As a coach at the White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre, in Abingdon, she often has a racket in her hand, but plays very few matches.

“If anything I play more tennis than badminton,” said Bradbury whose next competition is the National Veterans Championship in December.