LAST-MINUTE replacement Andrew East produced a record-breaking performance for Great Britain.

The York athlete has just returned from Germany with a personal best where he was a member of the GB and Northern Ireland Under-23s team which took part in a combined events international match.

He amassed 6,574 points, snipping three points off his personal best - not bad for someone who was not even expected to make the trip.

The former Nestl Rowntree Athletics Club ace only received the call from UK Athletics to travel to Rostock the day before the event.

He only just managed to fly from Heathrow an hour before this week's British Airways strike began - otherwise he would have been stranded.

The last-gasp selection didn't faze him as he finished seventh overall, recording personal bests in three events for his overall best score.

The four-man GB team finished second with 19,999 points - 536 behind hosts Germany but well ahead of the other competing nations, Switzerland and France.

East's performance signalled a remarkable comeback after a two-year injury nightmare.

A former pupil of Stamford Bridge Primary and Woldgate Schools, East took his first serious athletics steps on the track at Huntington Stadium as an NRAC member.

As a teenager he showed some talent as a footballer, playing up front for Nestl Rowntree and Pickering Town's Under-18 side, but became more and more interested in athletics.

He showed great all-round talent and his athletics continued to progress when he started university where he is studying industrial design and technology.

However, he suffered a dreadful injury three years ago when he severely tore ligaments in his right elbow when throwing the javelin - the same injury which floored Britain's best decathlete Dean Macey.

East, who celebrated his 22nd birthday yesterday, underwent surgery at St James' Hospital, Leeds, where the operation was done by orthopaedic surgeon Roger Hackney, the former British international athlete.

East's recovery was expected to be relatively quick, but he did not get the feeling back in his hand for a year and also suffered a knee injury.

Gradually, with the help of his coach, the former Gladiators' television referee John Anderson, he has worked his way back to fitness and his display in Rostock delighted him.

"I was pleased because I had a full week's training before the event. Normally if I have an event coming up I taper down my training," he said.

"Considering it has been my first full season back after injury I am pleased the way things have gone."

His performances in Rostock were: 100metres (11.36sec), long jump (6.28metres), shot (10.06m), high jump (1.79m), 400m (49.85sec), 110m hurdles (15.63sec), discus (36.53m), pole vault (4.00m), javelin (46.58m), 1,500m (4min 38.50sec).

His score was better than the athlete who represented Great Britain in this year's Europa Cup.

East's first event this year was in Los Angeles where he posted a good score and later finished fourth in the combined events in the AAAs.

"My target now is to break 7,000 points," said East. That will put him in the reckoning for a full British vest and a place on the England team for the Commonwealth Games in Sydney in 2006 could be within his grasp.

Updated: 10:54 Saturday, July 26, 2003