Ipswich athlete Michael Berlin won a bronze medal as part of the Australian 4x100m relay team at the world masters championships in Perth.

IPSWICH and District Athletic Club competitor Michael Berlin had modest expectations at his first world masters competition.

So it was a credit to the Thagoona-based masters newcomer to return home with a bronze medal.

Berlin, 47, was part of the Australian 4x100m relay team that finished third.  He ran the first leg of the relay.

“It was sort of an unexpected result,” Berlin said of the team medal.

He’d only been involved in masters competition for 18 months, having previously spent 15 years with his children at Rosewood Little Athletics.

“I just thought I would go over and give it a go,” he said of the world masters.

Berlin’s best finish in his five individual 45-49 years events was fifth in the high jump.

That came after he won his high jump and long jump events at the nationals earlier in the year.  Berlin also collected bronze medals in the triple jump, 60m and 100m at his first Australian masters championships.

After his latest efforts in Perth, he’s keen to pursue more competition in the future.