JACK Lawrie may have powered his way to the British Under-23 400m hurdles title last weekend but the Pitreavie Amateur Athletics Club star is determined to give himself even more reason to smile after the British Championships in Birmingham.

It’s a busy time for Lawrie who has had little time to reflect on his new title with preparations taking place for this weekend’s British Championships in Birmingham.

Despite being one of the youngest among the field last weekend at 20 years of age, Lawrie fired out a message of intent for the future when he clocked 51.32 seconds in Bedford.

It was the second fastest time he had managed ever – following on from his 50.85 personal best from last month – but such is the determination of Lawrie, he knows there is still room for improvement.

He will get the chance to put that to the test on Saturday when he lines up for the heats of the men’s 400m hurdles at the British Championships – which also double up as the Olympic trials for Rio 2016.

He is currently ranked 11th fastest in the UK over the 400m hurdles meaning this summer’s Olympics are likely to come too soon, although do not rule Lawrie out from ruffling a few feathers.

“It’s the sort of stuff you dream of, it was completely unexpected and I’m thrilled with the way I ran last weekend,” he said.

“But at the back of my mind I know I can run quicker – it’s the second fastest I’ve ran so there’s more I can do but when you win a Championship like this you don’t think of the time, so it’s not bad going.

“It helped winning the Under-20 Championships last year, but winning the Under-23 when still only 20 gives me huge belief, and a massive confidence boost going into the Senior Championships in Birmingham “Going there will be one of my career highlights. It’s one of the Olympic trials, so just being a part of it is hugely special knowing how crucial it is for GB and the Rio team being selected.

“I’ll be going there with a different target than most – for me Rio is not really my focus, it would be completely unexpected if I went there, so I’m just looking to give a good account of myself and get a fast time.

“But having said that it’s a big weekend for them, maybe nerves may play a part and get the better of them which could open up a few more doors for me!”

Lawrie is one of 100 athletes on the 2016 SSE Next Generation programme, a scheme that identifies potential Commonwealth Games and Olympic medallists of the future, providing them with financial help and mentoring from elite athletes like Olympic medal-winning diver Leon Taylor.

On Tuesday he attended a workshop at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, where he received support on a number of issues, including media training and nutritional advice.

Scotland rugby record points and caps holder Chris Paterson was also in attendance to help mentor the athletes and Lawrie admitted it had been an experience to savour.

“I believe I am at that stage in my career where every marginal gain I can get is going to benefit my career,” he added.

“Whether it is nutritional values such as eating the right foods at the right time so I can get the most out of every session or the mentoring from Chris Paterson – where he was talking about having trigger points so when you are under pressure then you can go back to what you know – it is all important.

“It was good to spend time with Chris, someone of his calibre who has been there and seen it all, and he can pass on his experience. I think it will help me in my career.”

SSE’s Next Generation programme partners with SportsAid to provide financial support and training to the sports stars of the future. Keep up to date with the latest @SSENextGen.