FRODSHAM’S Darren Scott is on top of the world again – if not the podium.
Scott has just won a 200m gold at the World Masters Indoor Championships in France, but is still missing his medal.
The presentation ceremony for his race was held over until the following day and, by then, the 39-year-old was on his way home.
He was bitterly disappointed not to have had chance to officially received his gong.
But rest assured, fellow Great Britain star Mark Dunwell, who claimed bronze behind Scott, has it in safe keeping.
And the Nottinghamshire athlete will pass it over to his team-mate tomorrow on visiting a friend in Wavertree, Liverpool, where the new champion trains.
Scott won the equivalent outdoors world title in Italy last year.
This latest victory left no-one in any doubt as to who is number one in the 35-39 age group.
Furthermore, it was achieved in a new Scottish record time of 21.62 seconds – the athlete’s best indoor time for 10 years.
“I was delighted with my performance – it was my best for a long, long time and only a few hundredths off my PB,” said Scott.
The champion came through four rounds in two days to deny Christophe Cheval, part of the fifth-placed French relay team at the 2000 Olympics, a home victory.
Scott added: “He was the big favourite going into the event.
“He has run a lot quicker than I have indoors – 20.7 seconds in his heyday.”
Scott believes the combined efforts of himself and coach Morris Condon, father of ex-GB sprinter Allyn, were key to the shock outcome.
“It was all about peaking for the competition,” said the runner, who is setting his sights on breaking the World Masters 40 record of 21.94 seconds when he moves up an ageband in 2009.
“I’d done a few little meetings earlier in the year to see where I was with the training but then didn’t race for a month.
“Morris and I got it spot on. I sorted out my weight training – being a personal trainer helped me with that – and Morris sorted out the athletics side.”
