LITTLEDEAN athlete Richard Davenport is targeting a return to the top after four frustrating years on the sidelines.

In 2005, Davenport had the sporting world at his feet after being named Junior British Male Athlete of the Year by the Great British Athletics Writers' Association.

However, the diagnosis of a serious stress fracture of the back literally stopped him in his tracks.

His problems only surfaced when he went to Loughborough University and underwent a routine scan.

It's been a long and painful spell in the wilderness, but the 23-year-old is now back running 48 seconds for the 400m.

He said: "I ran a PB of 46.8secs when I was 19 but I need to be below 46secs to compete at the top level now.

"By the end of this season I want to improve my PB – and I think that's achievable because I started my winter training in no real shape at all.

"On one hand it's frustrating to see guys I used to beat running faster than me. On the other hand it's exciting, because it gives me the belief to carry on.

"Sometimes, when I get beaten by a 17 or 18-year-old I think to myself 'I used to be you'."

Davenport sailed through the junior ranks, taking his sport by storm. He reached the final of the 400m hurdles World Junior Championships in Italy in 2004 with a terrific run of 50.2secs in the Tuscan city of Grosetto. That new British under-20s record surpassed the efforts of all previous British hurdling greats, including the likes of David Hemery and Kris Akabussi.

He subsequently ran faster than any under-20s athlete in the country over a flat 400m in a Great British match against the Australians.

He won a silver medal at the European Indoor Championships in Madrid with the senior British relay team, and also picked up a silver medal in the 4x400m relay with the GB team at the European Under-23s Championships in Germany.

He said: "I feel like a brand new athlete, nothing is the same.

"My aim is to make next year's Commonwealths.

"I'm running in Cork on July 4 and I'm going to do the national trials, from which the team for the World Championships will be selected. I'm not expecting much, but it'll be good to see some old faces."

Davenport has just completed his degree course at Loughborough, but plans to take a masters course so he can continue working with top international coach Nick Dakin.

He is currently training with two of the country's top 400m talents, Martin Rooney and David Gillick.

He hasn't jumped a hurdle since returning to athletics, but is considering going back to the event that gave him his biggest successes.

He said: "I'll look at that during the next year. Personally, I'm keen to go back over the hurdles as long as it's not to the detriment of my back."