The 42-year-old world veteran champion is keen to go quicker after 1:48 800m

Anthony Whiteman reckons there is still room for further improvement after setting a world over-40 record in the 800m, writes Kevin Fahey.

The 42-year-old won the British Milers Club Grand Prix race at Trafford earlier this month earning himself a nice 200 bonus in the club s Best of British initiative with a time of 1:48.05 to eclipse his own record of 1:48.22, which he set in America more than two years ago.

I am quite shocked with that time,” said Whiteman.

It is always nice as an old warrior to get a surprise like that because really I would have been happy to run 1:49, but I still love racing and winning and sometimes it is all about race craft in executing races properly and that is what I did this evening.”

It is his fastest time since 2003 and ranks him 14th overall in the UK this year.

He followed that mark up with 1:49.51 when finishing behind Paul Goodall at the Oxford Grand Prix a week later.

Whiteman, who looked certain to make the final of June’s Sainsbury s British Championships 800m before slowing purposely as he had a prior engagement later in the weekend, concentrated on the 1500m when he was at his peak. He reached the semi-finals of the IAAF World Championships and Olympics and has a best of 3:32.34, while his PB for the two-lap event is 1:45.81.

When asked if he thought he could now break 1:48 for 800m he was emphatic in his response. Most definitely!” he said.

If I can get the right conditions like we had tonight (in Trafford on July 12) and the right race and it all clicked then yes.

Probably I should be looking for a race abroad or something and I m calling a few contacts, but I have to work for a living now!”

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