YORK track and field star Scott Lincoln will be looking to defend his title this weekend at the British Athletics Indoor Championships - and hit the qualifying mark for the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade next month.

Lincoln is Britain's number one shot-putter but needs to nail a throw of at least 19.80 metres to qualify for the Europeans - 21 centimetres further than his personal best of 19.59m and 90cm further than his best indoor mark set when winning the British title last year.

The City of York Athletic Club ace recently retained the Northern Championship title in Sheffield with a throw of 18.87m – a record for the competition – while he won with a mark of 18.70m when competing for England at an indoor meeting in Vienna last time out.

But those throws remain over a metre shy of the minimum required to reach Belgrade.

The cut-off point for hitting that qualification mark is February 19, so if he does not make it this weekend he will have to seek out a competition next weekend for a last chance.

Coach Paul Wilson said: "He's trained really well this week and threw a 'training PB' (his best throw ever training) so he's in good shape.

"He's got a really good chance, to be fair. I think he could do it. It's all about on the day."

The 23-year-old - a two-time Active York Sports Awards Sportsman of the Year - competes on Sunday, with the shot put starting at 12.30pm.

He will be joined at the championships by City of York club-mate Becky Campsall, who will be racing in the 60 metres on Saturday and 200 metres on Sunday.

At the recent indoor meeting in Vienna, Campsall finished second in the 60m sprint in 7.51 seconds and third in the 200m in 24.59.