Les Richards

And the City of York Athletics Club star will get his first chance to shine in the international arena when he makes his senior England debut in Belgium next month.

The 23-year-old discus thrower and shot putter has been drafted into the national squad for the Flanders Cup Kessel-Lo meeting, in Belgium, on Saturday, June 7.

Bizarrely, his call-up for the shot putt event is the result of an injury which could yet spike his ambition of challenging for a place in the Great Britain team for this year's Beijing Olympics.

Primarily a discus thrower, Richards has concentrated on the shot over the winter after suffering a series of injuries which were hindering his discus training.

A bicep problem and a stress fracture of the back are likely to prevent him reaching the Olympic qualifying target.

Having thrown the discus in excess of 57 metres, Richards achieved a personal best in shot put of 17.21 metres during the winter.

"I should be close to the Olympic qualifying mark, which is 62 metres for discus and 19 metres for shot," he said.

"I am throwing 17 metres-plus in shot and 57 metres in the discus. I am still throwing quite far with me about 60 to 70 per cent fit.

"I am ranked highest in discus, but I took up shot due to a bicep injury. I found out I was quite good at both, and do drills for both in training.

"People have been to the Olympics for both events and it's the same sort of training. They are both a spin and then one is a punch and one is a hook."

Richards is defying medical advice in an attempt to maintain his progress this year but, deep down, he knows the 2009 World Championships are his most realistic target.

"I have been injured for about six months," he said. "I've got a stress fracture in the middle of my back so there is some training I cannot do, but I am trying to work around it.

"The doctor has said don't throw', but I can't help it.

"I was going to go for the shot in the Olympics but, since the injury, I don't think it is going to be possible this year. But, next year, I am looking at the World Championships - I am going to go for that.

"This year, it is not worth risking putting myself out of action by overdoing it. I want to get my back right this year."

He will still contest the Olympic trials and enjoy the experience of his first senior call to arms. He said: "I've competed for Great Britain Under-23s every year for three years, and I also competed for England at U17s, but this is my first year as a senior and it's good to make the team.

"I have only ever competed in Ireland so this is the first time I've really been away. I don't really know what to expect. I do keep a record of how far other people throw, so if I have heard of them I will know how good they are. It will be a good experience whatever happens.

"The Olympic trials are my main goal this year. Last year, I was fifth and sixth in the World Championship trials and I would like to improve on that this year."

If Richards can eke out another metre in the discus, he will qualify for the lifeblood of Lottery funding.

He said: "I am nearly on the Lottery funding scheme - I am about a metre off the funding qualification. I've not hit it yet, but I haven't got a job - I am putting everything into this."

A key figure in his progress to date is his City of York coach, Paul Wilson.

Stockton-based Richards joined the York club last winter so he could link up on a more regular basis with Wilson - who also coaches two of the club's other throwing stars, discus thrower Jenny Scott and rising javelin star Paul Allsopp.

"Paul is my fourth coach," said Richards. "I never really got on with my coaches before. They have tried to tell me what to do. But Paul has listened to me as well. We have worked well together.

"This is my third year of being coached by him and it's been great.

"He also coaches hammer and javelin, and York have got people coming through.

"Jenny Scott, another discus thrower, has also been invited to compete with England.

"Me, Jenny and Paul Allsopp, the teenage javelin thrower, are Paul's elite athletes. I got to know them all when we went to Portugal for warm weather training over the winter and it's a great club."

With the help of Wilson, Richards believes he will reach his peak in the next five years.

He said: "I am only 23 and I should peak between 27 and 32. But the best discus thrower in the world is 37.

"You can throw until you are 40-years-old and then you go downhill. Sprinters peak between 20 and 30, but throwers can go on longer.

"As a kid I was doing a bit of everything - mainly football. When I was about 11, I saw someone throwing discus on TV and I thought I would try copying it.

"It turned out I was quite good and I've been doing it ever since."