Junior athletes often follow a successful year with a quieter one, because they compete in age groups with two year bands - under 11, under 13, under 15 and under 17.

For the first season after they move up they are competing with athletes a year older, and it becomes even harder when they graduate from the under 17s into the under 20s where the span is three years.

But stepping into the under 20s for the first time for this winter's indoor circuit, Matt Wood of Blackburn Harriers and Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School made light of the stiffer competition to take victory for England in the Hypark International.

Competing in the 1500 metres at the National Indoor Arena in Cardiff, 17-year-old Matt set a season's best indoors of 4:02.14.

In his wake was top Loughborough runner Alan Wales with third being taken by Welsh International Pete Emmett who had finished ahead of him in the AAAs two weeks earlier.

It was a brisk pace throughout with the usual barging early on, then with one lap to go Matt went past Emmett to go on the leader's shoulder and at 150 accelerated into a sprint to go ten metres clear up the home straight.

England team managers were delighted - it justified their faith in him. He was presented with his winners medal in the presence and with congratulations from Lynn Davies the Olympic long jump champion of 1964 and UK Athletics President.

In the presentation group were Linford Christie and Darren Campbell. Matt helped his country defeat Wales and Ireland together with the Combined Universities and lift the Hypark Trophy.

It is the second time that Wood has represented his country - and the second time he has won. Just a year ago he took a spectacular win at the AAAs Indoor Championships in Birmingham where he broke the under 17s Championship Record for the 1500m which had stood for 30 years.

His time of 3:59.71 had only been bettered indoors by one under 17 briton, and that was in 1969!

That prompted his international debut and he beat runners from Holland, France, Germany, and two Belgian regions at an under 18 international in Ghent.

Inevitably, an athlete of his talent will be in demand and Matt had to withdraw from the Lancashire Team at the English Schools Cross Country Championships in order to compete. However his future is clearly on the track where he is one of East Lancashire's leading prospects with two AAA's titles and now two England vests to his credit.