AN athletics coach from Bournemouth will have the honour of carrying the Olympic Torch this summer – after being nominated by a gold medallist.

Peter Roscoe, 67, spotted Jason Gardener – who won Gold in the 4x100m relay at Athens in 2004 – at a sports day as the runner went to the same school as his own children.

Now Jason, who has also won a host of other medals and titles during his career, has repaid Peter by nominating him as one of Lloyds TSB’s torchbearers.

Peter was living and coaching in Jason’s home town of Bath when he spotted the youngster’s potential.

He said: “I met him when he was 12 and invited him along to City of Bath Athletics Club.

“From that day onward you could see he was a bit special, so I kept him interested and it paid off.”

Peter will carry the torch for a few hundred metres at a point between Wareham and Bournemouth on July 13.

On being nominated, he added: “It was completely out of the blue, I actually left and retired 15 years ago and came down to Bournemouth.

“I feel absolutely thrilled. The Olympics, I have always said, is the biggest sporting event this country will have seen and I will never see one again in this country and to be part of it is great.

“I’ve got lots of people coming to watch me and support me.”