Athletics: Birmingham boost for Richard Buck (From Gazette & Herald)

Athletics: Birmingham boost for Richard Buck

2:53pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Sport

Richard Buck overshadowed two of his main London 2012 rivals in the 400 metres at the indoor Birmingham Games as he continues building towards his Olympic goal.

The 25-year-old former Pickering schoolboy ran the fastest time in the four one-lap heats at the National Indoor Arena as he prepared for this coming weekend’s Aviva Indoor UK Trials and Championships in Sheffield.

Buck, who is funding his own build-up to the Olympic Games after the loss of his £20,000-a-year podium relay backing, clocked 46.95 seconds – faster than Michael Bingham and Rob Tobin, who won two of the other heats.

Despite winning his heat by 2.5 seconds, and registering the fastest time in the country this year, Buck declined to run in the Saturday night final to instead focus on this Saturday’s meet.

The Aviva Indoor UK Championships in Sheffield double as a trial for next month’s World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, which Buck sees as a key stepping stone towards the Olympics.

The City of York Athletics Club ace won the UK indoor title three years on the trot until last year, when he came second.