Olympic run tops the lot

The former Hillcrest Language College pupil linked up with Tim Benjamin, Malachi Davis and Matt Elias to finish less than a metre outside the medals in a gripping race in Athens on Saturday night.

His impressive split of 45.3 also drew praise from American one lap icon Michael Johnson, analysing the action for BBC Television, as he took the team from fourth to second on the second leg.

It didn't quite end as they hoped, though, because brave Matt Elias was overhauled from third place in the finishing straight of the final leg.

Baldock, 27, said: "Third would definitely have topped the Commonwealth gold and even coming fifth as well, probably because we were kind of expected to get a medal last time and this time we weren't even expected to make the final. I think everyone just ran above what they were expected to.

"I think we even surprised ourselves by winning our semi-final so easily and (with the Jamaicans and French failing to qualify for the final) it opened it up. Everyone suddenly thought 'we can get a medal here' and it was definitely disappointing (to miss out). It does make it all the more difficult to take because we were so close and if Matt had run slightly different we might have got a bronze. But it happens and maybe another time it will go for us."

And from a personal standpoint: "Everything just seemed to work out for me when I was over there. At first I didn't know if I was going to run but then it really opened up (as a result of injuries to Daniel Caines and Chris Rawlinson). The final was fairly good, probably my best run of the season. It wasn't a bad time and I think I could have run a bit quicker but the big German was trying to push me off the track!"