Emerging sprint star Richard Buck is targeting the World Indoor Athletics Championships in March as his major senior debut.

The 19-year-old Nestl Rowntree 400 metre runner finished the year on a high as the all-time British 300m junior indoor record holder and second fastest junior over 400m in the national rankings.

Now he is ready for his first crack alongside the big boys at the World Indoors in Moscow in March.

He said: "My coach Geoff Barraclough and performance director Brad McStravick have held me back from seniors before by keeping me at age group level so when I do break through I will be fully ready for it.

"It also means there's always been something more to go at."

Pickering-based Buck missed out on the indoor season last year after returning from the Commonwealth Youth Games in Australia with an individual bronze - and damaged ligaments - but his competitive schedule for 2006 includes the Northern Championships on January 29, the AAAs in February and then the Worlds in March.

He said: "Indoors is never my favourite sort of competition but it's important to compete. Training can get very monotonous sometimes so it's really important to compete to keep you fresh."

The Commonwealth Games have not been completely ruled out yet either. The Pickering-based athlete missed out on selection for England despite being the fifth fastest over 400m with hurdler Chris Rawlinson getting the nod for the last relay place.

"It's not been closed off completely," he said. "If they decide to call up another runner then that will be me but I don't know whether I would want to go or not because I haven't been aiming at that.

"If the question is asked, I will have to consider it."

But the main focus of the coming season is the outdoor European Championships in August.

"The times should massively drop but we are not focusing on that," said the 19-year-old.

"Last year I missed out on all my winter training because of appendicitis so the fact that we have done my full winter training should make a big difference.

"I'm pretty much getting to my developed stage physically as well so it should take quite a bit off my times and I'm not expecting any problems.

"I want to get down to the high 44s (below 45 seconds) but my coach wants me focused on the Europeans rather than personal bests."

The belief in Buck's ability goes high up, as evidenced by his inclusion in the World Class Development Programme - the next generation of the world class potential funding scheme.

Massive changes have been installed to turn around Britain's recent poor performances on the international stage and funding has been stripped right back from 120 to just 80 on the new scheme - and Buck is one of them.

He said: "They've really cut the numbers down and they are now only funding people they really think will get a medal so it's good (I'm included), but it piles on the pressure."

The funding will provide the revenue and support to train almost full time while he embarks on a degree course in economics at Leeds Metropolitan University, where he starts later this month.

Updated: 10:36 Thursday, January 05, 2006