Updated: CITY of York Athletics Club ace Richard Buck insisted it was Great Britain error and not a USA’s infringement that cost them a 4x400 metre relay gold after they were finally awarded silver in a chaotic end to the World Indoor Championships in Turkey.

The 25-year-old failed to reach the individual 400m final but had high hopes of relay gold – and for about an hour it seemed he had got his wish despite finishing second on the anchor leg.

USA’s Gil Roberts crossed the line ahead of Buck but the judges ruled he had taken it upon himself to switch lanes while waiting for the baton, after team-mate Manteo Mitchell had overtaken GB’s Michael Bingham on the final bend, contravening the rules. Great Britain were bumped up to gold but the USA appealed on the grounds that the officials had initially put Roberts in the wrong lane and they were reinstated as gold medallists.

But Buck, who has now won two major indoor bronzes and three silvers, said it was down to a mistake by his team.

“We really wanted to get the gold and that’s what we came here looking to do because we’ve got a very strong squad,” said Buck.

“I was going after Roberts and thought at one stage that I could creep up on him but he held on and so we’ll take the silver.

“It makes us hungry. It’s another major championship under our belts and another experience and another mistake to learn from.

“I think I picked up the baton a bit too far back and that knocked our momentum but we’ll learn from it and make sure we’re ready for the summer.”

With Buck, Bingham, Conrad Williams and Nigel Levine securing silver, Great Britain’s Aviva-backed team laid down a marker for London 2012 with their most successful championships ever, claiming nine medals to finish second on the medal table behind the dominant USA. And Buck is already turning his attentions to London 2012.

“The next stop is London 2012 and we’ll have to make sure we get gold there now,” he said.

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