STAR City of York Athletic Club shot-putter Scott Lincoln is preparing for his “biggest competition this year” tomorrow as he looks to claim his seventh consecutive British title and qualify to represent Great Britain at the Athletics World Cup in July.

The 25-year-old reigning British champion could also qualify for the European Championships on Tuesday, August 7 in Berlin with a put of 19 metres 90 centimetres at the British Championships in Birmingham tomorrow.

His coach of 10 years, Paul Wilson, says Lincoln also has one eye on the upcoming Olympic games, but is keeping focused on more immediate challenges for now.

Lincoln has returned to the country after having attended a training camp in the USA with shot put star, New Zealander Tom Walsh to find a busy schedule that also includes a British League competition in Bedford on Saturday, July 7 and the Cork City Games on Tuesday, July 17.

Wilson commented: “He’s training really hard. He went to a training camp in Phoenix, Arizona with the world champion Tom Walsh. We're just hoping everything will click.

“He definitely wants his seventh title. Birmingham is his biggest competition this year. The added bonus if he wins the British title is that he will go to the World Cup at the Olympic Stadium in London on July 14.

“He’s got the Cork City Games and the British League in Bedford coming up, but British Championships is his priority.

“He’s targeting the Olympics and working towards that, but for now it’s just European championships and the World Cup.

“He’s just looking to keep improving. We don’t want to run before we can walk.”

However, Lincoln – who has previously won titles of Yorkshire champion, Northern champion, English champion, British champion and competed for England and Great Britain on more than one occasion – has found himself struggling to compete on a level playing field with other athletes due to a lack of sponsorship and has to work full-time as a builder.

Speaking about Lincoln’s aims for the year, Wilson said: “He’ll ideally qualify for the European Championships, but also find a new sponsor.

“He has to work full-time, but he’s competing against full-time athletes, so there’s immediately a stumbling block there.

“If he had a sponsor he’d be better off, not just with equipment but also for things like travel. There’s a lot of outlays."

To sponsor Lincoln, email tftmanagement@outlook.com.