A VETERAN athlete, who took up the sport only eight years ago, has just landed a world title in one of the most phsically-challenging of events.

Andy Waddington is the new over-40 world ultra multi-events champion after competing in a gruelling 20 events over two days at Gateshead International Stadium.

The 43-year-old planning manager with the AA competes regularly for his club in the Southern League and was chasing a world crown for the third time in an event billed as "the toughest all-round track and field challenge".

More than improving his positions in Finland and then Austria, Waddington was delighted to finish eighth overall in a field of 39 men finishers, aged from 18 upwards, from 14 different countries.

After claiming fourth place in Finland and third in Austria, he gained a satisfying outright victory, beating the people who had previously beaten him.

His points total of 11,489 was a new British age group record.

Waddington was encouraged to take up athletics by his wife Julia, a member of Basingstoke and Mid-Hants AC. He joined her training group at the Down Grange club and has made huge strides ever since.

He said: "I did athletics at school but I stopped and then played rugby for 15 years."

His former club, Wombats, for whom he turned out as a wing or full-back, disbanded, so he was able to put all his energy into athletics.

In addition to the 10 normal decathlon disciplines, there are track runs over 800, 5,000 and 10,000 metres, a 3,000m and a 3,000m steeplechase, the rarely-raced 200m hurdles, as well as 400m hurdles.

The two days closed with the 25-lap 10,000m.

Waddington's performances were, day one: 100m 12.28sec, long-jump 5.64m, 200m hurdles 28.08sec, shot 7.78m, 5,000m 18min 57.85sec, 800m 2:16.45, high-jump 1.75m, 400m 55.09sec, hammer 17.90, 3,000m steeple-chase 12:6; day two: 110m hurdles 18.59sec, discus 25.64m, 200m 24.59sec, pole-vault 2.40m, 3,000m 11:5.73, 400m hurdles 63.81sec, javelin 34.53m, 1,500m 5:7.44, triple-jump 11.17m, 10,000m 42:11.16.

Waddington, who is coached by Geoff Goddard, thought his high-jump achievement stood up well to international age-group standards, but was less pleased with his distances in the throwing events.

The warm and breezy weather conditions helped produce good performances from the athletes.

Waddington said of his preparation: "For three or four weeks beforehand, I focused on this event. In addition to my normal training, I put in a few longer runs.

"The competition itself was a case of trying to get what you can out of your legs. I did sleep well each night, though."

Remarkably, three days afterwards he was back doing some sprint training on the track.