Bill's aiming to hammer it home

HE BECAME a double world champion hammer thrower in his first competition after suffering a stroke.

Now retired athletics coach Bill Gentleman, 71, is aiming to retain his title as the Scottish record holder in hammer throwing for the over-70s at an event in West Lothian.

It will be the first time the father-of-two from Craig- lockhart has taken part in Hammeramma, which will see more than 50 athletes from the world of hammer throwing descend on the new athletics facility at Xcite Craigswood in Livingston.

More than 400 hammers are expected to be thrown by all age groups during the full-day competition, organised by Scottish Athletics, tomorrow.

Mr Gentleman, a former teacher, will be competing alongside throwers less than half his age when he attempts to break the Scottish record in hammer throwing, for his age group, of 46.11 metres, which he set in Birmingham last month.

"This event is usually for younger people but I have known the organiser for a long time and he asked me to come along," he said. "He knows I won't look terrible and only throw 20 metres.

"I have never competed in Hammeramma before so it will be interesting. The other people taking part will range from 14 to late 20s."

Since suffering a stroke in July 2008, Mr Gentleman has gone on to win two gold medals at the world championship in Canada last year - his first championship since falling ill - three European silvers and one European bronze medal.

The former head of biology at Musselburgh Grammar School has also set five British records in hammer throwing since 2001 in different age groups, three of which he still holds.

The Linlithgow-born pensioner, who is a member of Edinburgh Athletics Club, got into hammer throwing in the early 1960s when he was a student at Edinburgh University, where he studied zoology.

He has since travelled around the globe to compete in the sport, including to Mexico, Canada, Guatemala, Australia, the US and Europe. Despite his older years he continues to break records.

Mr Gentleman, who said he was born "freaky strong", has an impressive record of athletics coaching, nurturing a young Yvonne Murray from beginners standard to when she won a European gold medal at the age of 24.

He still helps out with coaching West Lothian youngsters in athletics and believes his fitness lies in his "genetics".

His other passion is opera singing and he'll perform in his 31st opera at Church Hill Theatre in October.

But he doesn't have any plans to hang up his hammer. "Why would I?" he said. "It gives me an incentive to train and training keeps you fit."

Athletes from across Scotland will take part in Hammeramma, many of whom are expected to represent Scotland at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.It will be the first large-scale event to be hosted at Xcite Craigswood.

General manager of West Lothian Leisure, Robin Strang, said: "The event is always exciting and has certainly attracted some big throwers."