SPRINT star Danny Talbot says that all of his early-season nerves have been vanquished by his towering start to the year.

The 20-year-old helped Great Britain and Northern Ireland clinch victory at last weekend’s Aviva International match in Glasgow, the Trowbridge Tornado beating world 100m bronze medallist Kim Collins to win the 200m, with a time of 21.17 seconds.

Talbot, who twice improved his 60m personal best to 6.73 seconds at the South of England Championships earlier this month, was delighted to claim his first-ever international victory.

“At the start of the season, you don’t really know if you’ve improved or dropped off and, even though I got the PB in the 60m, the last time I’d run was in 2009,” said the University of Bath student.

“Because last year was such a breakthrough season for me, you want to know if you’re still at that level, especially because it was my first time 200m of the year.

“But I was really happy because I ran two tenths faster than I did there last year and it’s not a fast track. To beat someone like Kim Collins was an amazing feeling.

“It was weird having all the people wanting to speak to you after the race and in the mixed zone but I think that’s sunk in now and I’m getting used to it.”

His eye-catching performance earned the praise of Charles van Commenee, the head of UK Athletics who said: “It was very pleasing to have a few new names coming to the fore.’’

Former St Augustine’s School pupil Talbot, who lives in Lacock Gardens in Hilperton, said: “Charles came over to congratulate me and he was complimentary.

“I think it is good for me and all the younger athletes on the team to show people live on television, who don’t necessarily know about us, what we can do.

“It is really good news and I am still so excited with my run and still can hardly believe it a I got some really big scalps like the American (Calvin Smith).

“It was also the first time that I had beaten the German Sven Knipphals.

“I need to settle down a bit now.”

Talbot’s next big test will come later this month at the Aviva Indoor World Trials and UK Championships, at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield (February 11-12).

The Trowbridge sprint star, coached by Corsham-based Dan Cossins, smashed his personal best with 20.89secs to win the 200m at last year’s event and added: “If I can repeat that and beat my PB in Sheffield I will be very happy and that would really set me up for the outdoor season.

“It’ll be a good way to see where I’m at and where I need to go from there.

“Hopefully I can keep on improving.’’

The subsequent World Indoor Championships do not feature the 200m, so Talbot is then likely to tackle the British Student Championships for Bath University and will then call time on his indoor season.

“It probably works well for me as Dan (Cossins) didn’t want me to be racing too much indoors in Olympic year and wants me to get back into training and focus on the outdoors,” explained Talbot.

“I have already done well but if I can improve more over 200m that will be a great start to the year.”

Additional reporting by Kevin Fahey