PENARTH discus ace Brett Morse will go into the European Athletics Team Championships at Gateshead this weekend confident he can improve on his personal best and throw the required ‘A’ standard for the World Championships later this year.

The local star was named in the Team GB squad for the European competition along with Olympic Gold medallists Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford last week.

The championships – held on Saturday June 22 and Sunday June 23 - will be the first major athletics event in the UK since the London 2012 Games.

Brett, 24, has started the season in sensational form, winning his first four events, including the British Athletics League (Premier Division) match back in May.

He produced his third longest throw of all time with a massive 64.97 metres effort in London, securing his place at Glasgow 2014 by smashing the Commonwealth Games 'A' standard of 60m.

It puts him well on the way to 66m ‘A’ standard for the World Championships in Moscow later this summer, but he is yet to improve 66.06 metres he threw back in 2011.

Despite this Brett said he was confident he has the ability to better the British record of 68.24m set by fellow Olympian Lawrence Okoye, who is now playing in the NFL - and to eventually throw further than 70m.

Brett said: “I was throwing 66m by age 22 and am right up there for the biggest throws at under-23 level. Very few of the guys that are throwing big now were doing that at that age. I honestly believe I can continue training as I am and stay injury free I have the ability to exceed the 70m mark.

“I don’t want to be in the sport just to be in it, I want to win things and leave a legacy.”

He said training had been going exceptionally well this season, having based himself in Cardiff with trainer Andy Brittan, and that he had thrown further than his personal best several times recently.

He added: “I have been throwing really far in training but in competitions I have been getting a bit tight and excited and that has hindered me a bit.

“Even then though my throws have been quite good but they have been ugly. I just need to find the knack I have found in training and I am confident I can do that.

“I am in pretty good shape and I will need to be for this weekend because the Europeans are the best throwers in the world. I am going to have to go in with a bit of a different plan and mindset. But I feel training at home has given me more structure and focus, and I am really benefitting from that.”

On June 29 and 30 Brett is scheduled to compete at the Welsh Championships at Cardiff International Stadium – where his 11-year-old brother, Jay will also be throwing.

Brett – who said he had received great support from sponsors SHS Scaffolding, Adidas and Sci-MX Nutrition this year - will also compete at the Welsh Athletics International on Wednesday July 31 at the international stadium in Leckwith.

Tickets for the Welsh Athletics International are on sale now at www.ticketline.co.uk.

The European Athletics Team Championships will be shown on BBC One, and online, between 2pm and 6.15pm on Saturday, and on BBC Two, and online, between 2.30pm and 6.15pm on Sunday.