A former probation officer has broken the European athletics record for hurdling - for people aged between 70 and 74!

In fact Tony Bowman, 70, smashed his own record when he crossed the finishing line of the 300 metres hurdles in 50.67 seconds at the 15th European Veterans Athletic Championships.

Racing in the 70-to-74-year-old category, he won two golds - for long and short hurdles - and came second in the 200 metres and third in the 100 metres at the meeting in Poznan, Poland.

More than 3,000 athletes from 40 nations took part.

Mr Bowman, of The Poplars, Guiseley, said: "The championships are like a veterans' - or masters' as they're more usually called now - Olympics. We do all the events from the age of 35 right through to around 90 and run in a five-year age group, men and women.

"I got two gold medals and broke the European record for the long hurdles so I'm very pleased indeed.

"I've had quite a successful year so far and I get to see a lot of the world doing this. Earlier this year I was in Austria for the World Indoor Championships, where I won two hurdling events and after that I ran in the US championships and also won the hurdles there.

"Recently I took part in the British Veterans' Decathlon Championships in Oxford, which is exactly the same as the normal decathlon - ten events in two days finishing up with the dreaded 1,500 metres - and won my age group there.

"Unfortunately I do have to pay for it all out of my own pocket!"

First involved in athletics as a schoolboy - he was Middlesex School hurdles champion - Mr Bowman's interest dropped away in his mid-20s but returned with a vengeance at the age of 42.

He has been competing in veterans' or masters' championships ever since, to the delight of his wife Betty and adult son Adam.

A member of Leeds City Athletics Club, he trains regularly to keep in condition and can often be seen running in Guiseley.

He puts his success down to constant practice and a healthy lifestyle. "I train every other day," he said, "play tennis once a week, eat sensibly, don't smoke and don't often have a drink.

"Betty's very proud of what I've achieved and she cooks me all the best meals and is very supportive, so she can take some of the credit!"

Mr Bowman's next competition will be the British Masters' Athletic Federation Pentathlon Championships at Monkton Stadium, in Tyneside, on September 3.

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