Congratulations to Thornton Heath athlete Martyn Rooney who claimed a bronze at the IAAF World Championships to add to his medal horde.

This month has provided a triple celebration for the CPFC fan who anchored Great Britain’s 4 x 400m relay team at the World Championships in London, picked up an overdue medal for a bronze he should have won at the Beijing Olympics and welcomed the birth of his daughter Ciada.

At the London world games Matthew Hudson-Smith gave Britain a flying start with solid legs from Dwayne Cowan and Rabah Yousif setting up anchor man Rooney, who recently turned 30, in clear third.

The 400m runner who was born and raised in Thornton Heath started running for Croydon Harriers just before starting secondary school at the The John Fisher School. He attended St James the Great Primary School where his mum teaches.

New for this season is the Under 21 side playing in the fledgling John Bennett Development League, part of the Combined Counties Football League.

 He duly delivered, holding off the challenge of Belgium as Trinidad and Tobago pipped the United States to gold.

Rooney and his fellow members of Team GB’s men’s 4x400m relay team from 2008 were also awarded their overdue Olympic bronze medals from Beijing after Russia’s disqualification, when retrospective testing of urine  samples found that anchor runner Denis Alekseyev had used a banned substance.

He said: “While it would have been an unforgettable moment to receive my medal in Beijing, I can’t think of a better substitute than to stand on the podium in the London Stadium, in front of an appreciative and supportive British crowd.

He added:“To come away with a medal and close the championships with a medal, that’s really special.”

Martyn Rooney pictured on his Twitter feed