KIDDERMINSTER’S Naomi Folkard is still in the hunt for an archery medal after winning the battle of Britain in Beijing.

The 24-year-old qualified for the last eight in the individual competition after edging out fellow Brit Charlotte Burgess — 48 hours after the pair had agonisingly missed out on team bronze by two points.

But Folkard, who had earlier beaten Egypt’s Soha Abed Elaal, showed little sentiment towards her 21-year-old opponent, hitting the maximum twice in her first and third end, eventually beating Bur-gess 110-96.

However, despite her dominant display, the Dunlop Club archer insisted it wasn’t easy playing against a team-mate and a friend.

She said: “It’s horrible having to play against your team-mate, knowing you still have to go out there and give it your best and beat your friend is hard.

“We have played each other before, it always happens a couple of times a year but it is a bit different in the Olympics.

“We didn’t say anything before hand as I had only just finished my other match. I think it helped me to play straight away again as I was shooting well and it doesn’t give you enough time to start thinking about it.

“The conditions were perfect, it was pretty hot but not that humid. I topped my best score so I am pleased.”

But despite reaching the last eight, Folkard admitted she is still struggling to consign Sunday’s defeat to France in the bronze medal match to the history books.

“I came out on Monday morning to shoot and I was a bit down in the dumps, I was alright in the afternoon and today I was a little bit better but it is still hard,” she added.

Having finished 11th in Athens in 2004, the two-time World Cup winner will now face Japan’s Nami Hayakawa for a place in the last four — but Folkard insists she is not getting carried away.

She said: “I will approach the match the same as I did in the quarters but probably with a slower heart rate.”