A STOCKTON Heath shot putter warmed up for a tilt at European glory this spring by breaking a British record.

John Nicholls made the podium at the Northern Athletics Senior Championships at Sheffield on Sunday, with his effort of 14.08m enough to earn third spot.

However for the 50-year-old, who will compete at the European Masters Championships on April 1, it meant a British best attempt for his age – breaking both the indoor and outdoor records for his age group.

“I squeezed on to the rostrum at 50, which I thought I'd finished doing,” said the Sale Harriers athlete.

“I was against blokes whose dads I competed against, so there were a few comments about getting beat by a guy the same age as their dad!”

Nicholls will now enter a 10-week training period ahead of the European Masters in Ancora, Italy .

The Carlsberg employee was competing in the open-age event, which requires a 7kg shot, to test himself against the region’s best before dropping to a 6kg shot for the Masters competition.

“It was part of the build up to my main aim, which is Ancora,” explained Nicholls, who expects 16m could be enough for gold in Italy. “I won there in 2009 so have fond memories and want to keep it that way.

“I’m looking for a bit more speed and sharpness and hopefully to stay injury free, which is a big thing when you’re 50.

“I’ll need more speed base power than strength for the 6kg, which affects the technique a little bit. It’s like if you try to hit a penalty or a golf shot too hard – it goes wrong.”

But there was a sentimental moment in Sheffield for Nicholls, who watched Warrington’s Carys McAulay win the senior women’s 800m while collecting his medal.

“It may be my last time on the podium, but I was thinking ‘for this 17-year-old, it’s just the start’,” he said. “33 years ago I got my first one in the seniors and I was also in the same Cheshire Schools’ team as her coach, Phil Hicken.”