MOST retired folk with an interest in athletics will be sitting back preparing to watch the Commonwealth Games from the comfort of their armchairs. Not so retired probation officer Tony Bowman from Guiseley.

The 66 year-old has just competed in the British Veterans Decathlon Champion-ships in Sheffield lifting a silver medal after ten gruelling events.

Tony endured five events each day with very poor weather conditions on Saturday disrupting the competition.

"We had to go out three times to start the high jump and when I did complete my Fosbury Flop the pit was just a pool of water," said Tony.

The man who describes himself as 'basically a sprinter and a hurdler' trains every other day for the ten events and represents his club Leeds City in their B Team.

Tony's silver medal came in the 65-69 years age group.

"I did some decent times in my favourite events the 100m, 400 m and 100m hurdles, all of which I won," said Tony.

There were a number of Americans in the event, they make the trip here every four years.

Tony's thoughts are now on the British Veterans' Track and Field Championships in Hendon and the European Veterans Championships in Potsdam, Germany.

In both these he will be concentrating on the 100m, 200m, 400m, 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles.

Last year he competed in the World Championships in Brisbane, Australia. There he won two silver medals and a bronze and broke the British record for the 300m hurdles.

Tony's interest in athletics was sparked way back in 1948 when as a boy he was taken by his father to watch the Olympic Games in London.

He said: "It is a memory which will remain with me forever and I have since been to three other Olympic Games as a spectator - in Rome, Munich and Barcelona."