PARALYMPIAN Robin Womack used the pain of Southend United missing out on promotion to smash a British discus record which had stood for 22 years.

The keen Shrimpers supporter was being kept up to date by text messages from the play-off semi-final clash against Burton Albion at Roots Hall.

And, when Womack discovered Blues had been edged out 3-2 on aggregate, he smashed his personal best by almost four metres to work his way in to the record books.

“I had set a PB in the fifth round then found out Southend had lost so I took some of that anger out on the discus and it just flew,” said the 42-year-old.

“I’m still gutted that we’ve missed out on Wembley and promotion but performing like that did make me feel a bit better.”

Womack landed a throw of 35.31 metres in Somerset to smash his previous personal of 31.37m to also beat the British record which had been held by Terry Hopkins since 1992.

And he will start to treat the discus even more seriously having previously concentrated more on the shot put, in which he won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Paralympics.

“I’ll still be focusing on the shot but this has made me realise what I’m capable of in the discus so I would be mad not to do that more as well now,” said Womack.

“My coach Sean (Pickering) brought me a space traveller discus back from America for me to compete with and it really did go in to space when I caught hold of it.”

Womack also set a new season’s best of 10.77m in the shot put and now faces three weeks of hard training before heading back in to competition next month.

Womack will be in action at Stoke Mandeville and in Berlin as he continues his preparations for the European Championships which take place in Swansea in August.

Womack hopes to take part in both the discus and the shot in Wales and was also keen to thank LSJ for their support with his frame.