Success brings call up for Shields

David Shields has been called up to the Great Britain Masters team for the European Indoor Championships

A GOLD-medal studded year as earned veteran athlete David Shields a call-up to the Great Britain Masters team for next week's European Indoor Championships.

The 50-year-old from Wash Common will take off in the triple jump as member of the British team which will compete amongst 3,500 athletes from throughout the continent in Ghent in Belgium from March 16 to 20.

Shields has enjoyed a successful year on local and national level, building to a bronze medal in the Great Britain masters at the Lea Valley Stadium last week, when he cleared 10,02 metres.

That followed golden wins at Slough, at Lea Valley in the veterans championships and in the Welsh National Championships held at the UWIC facility in Cardiff over the weekend.

Shields cleared 9.90 metres in Cardiff, well clear of the runner-up on 9:02m, but he knows the competition will be much more ferocious in Belgium.

"The aim will be to get into the top eight,” he said. “There are some really top class athletes there and a lot of ex-internationals.

“I was clearing 14 metres in my 20s, while they were doing 16 metres.

“But I consider it a great honour to be chosen.”