Injury ruled Buck out of the 2010 Commonwealth Games

City of York athlete Richard Buck hopes his double medal performance at the European Championships in Paris will prove to be a breakthrough for him.

The Pickering runner won silver in the 4x400 metres relay, but his bronze in the individual event may prove to be more significant with 2012 in mind.

"It was such a fast-run race there were split-second decisions to decide where to go," Buck told BBC Radio York.

"I don't know how I found myself in the right positions, but thankfully I did."

The 24-year-old relished the occasion, despite failing to overhaul individual winner Leslie Djhone of France.

It should give (the selectors) more confidence that I'll be able to repeat that on a big stage Richard Buck

"The crowd were going wild because there were two French people in it, so the atmosphere was insane," he added.

"I wasn't a hundred per cent convinced I'd got bronze because the Russian was really fast finishing behind me, so there were a couple of anxious moments looking up at the screen."

On the relay race he said: "It was so nerve-wracking because I was running the last leg and I was in the middle of the arena and having to watch the entire race unfold.

"When Richard Strachan managed to get us up from fourth to second on the third leg and he gave me the baton, I knew it would be a tough ask.

"The French guys were in front and they had the home crowd going absolutely mad, so it was a brilliant atmosphere and a fantastic experience."

Buck is now in a strong position approaching the 2012 Olympics and he feels he can still go faster.

"The selectors will be looking at me now, thinking I'm a championship performer. It should give them more confidence that I'll be able to repeat that on a big stage."

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