VETERAN sprinter David Elderfield was the male veteran of the year, but, unfortunately, his invitation to the Apollo Hotel went astray.

News that he had won this year's award was broken to the 52-year-old from Tadley by The Gazette.

"That's great. It's really nice," he said. "It's a shame I wasn't there to receive the award in person. I am embarrassed now that people might think that I did not want to turn up, which isn't the case at all."

In 2007, Elderfield made a triumphant return to the track, after injury, to collect two gold and one silver medal at the world masters championships in Riccione, Italy.

His golds came in the individual 400 metres and the 4x100m relay and he just missed a third gold in the 4x400m relay.

Already, this year, the AWE worker has broken a world 400m record that had stood for 13 years, and he would like to lower it again at the world vets indoor championships, in France, in two weeks.

Elderfield's new world mark of 52.54sec was set at the Birmingham Games last month.

3:46pm Wednesday 12th March 2008

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