York athlete Richard Buck in pledge to go full pelt during World Indoor Championships in Doha (From York Press)

York athlete Richard Buck in pledge to go full pelt during World Indoor Championships in Doha

10:53am Thursday 11th March 2010 in

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RICHARD BUCK has pledged to go flat out in his bid for a world championship medal.

The City of York Athletics Club one-lap specialist dons his Great Britain shirt tomorrow as he begins his campaign in the 400 metres and the 4 x 400m relay at the World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Buck is likely to run four times over the three days of the competition, beginning with the individual first-round heat, and his contribution to the relay side will depend on how he fares in the solo event.

The 23-year-old was part of the relay team which won silver at the European Indoor Championships in Turin 12 months ago – York’s first major international athletics medal in 43 years.

But Buck, a former pupil at Lady Lumley’s School in Pickering, admits he has been hunting a global medal for a few seasons, and reckons he will have to run as fast as he can to achieve his goal.

“My focus for the competition is the relay medal,” he said. “I have got a personal goal which is to try to make the individual final.

“It’s a big ask this year. The competition is tougher than previously. The Americans and Jamaicans are bringing full teams and the Americans are more than useful.

“It’s been made clear by Charles Van Commenee (UK Athletics head coach) that the 4x4 team is a medal contender and we always go into these competitions thinking we can get a medal.

“We are all capable of running times and a lot depends on how the race shapes up. It will come down to the experience of the team. You have to go as fast as you can.

“It’s a fast track in my experience and it’s getting used to getting round fast and hard. I will have to be flat out.

“I have been hunting a global medal for a few years.

“It would be brilliant and would give me huge confidence for the outdoor season. I love competing for my country. It’s one of the reasons I do the sport.”

Buck has been running progressively faster since returning to competition in January following an eight month lay-off because of injury.

Last month, he took his third successive UK title at the Aviva World Indoor Athletics Trials and UK Championships in Sheffield before running a season’s-best 46.52 seconds at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham.

Making up the relay team with Dale Garland, Chris Clarke, Nigel Levine, Conrad Williams and Luke Lennon-Ford, Buck can’t wait to get into action.

He added: “It should be brilliant. It’s been a while since I have been in a big competition and I have to trust my fitness.

“I’ve got some experience to take with me and I took a lot of confidence from that relay medal last year.

“I am looking to continue on an upward curve, not just in this indoor season but right into the outdoor campaign. Hopefully, I am still getting quicker.”