CHAMPION powerlifter Larry Whyte has vowed to continue in the sport after adding the European crown to his long list of honours.

Whyte, of Evesham, is already the drug-free world, British and Midlands king and beat the continent's best in Hogan, Switzerland, earlier this month for his fourth title in 12 months.

He also broke his own world record in the equipped deadlift category in the process with an effort of 265kg.

It has been an amazing year for the 50-year-old after being tempted out of retirement to compete in Drug Free Powerlifting Association events.

He said: "I had retired from competitive weightlifting as I used to lift for another association.

"I was really disgruntled with the use of drugs and steroids and that type of thing so I quit from competitions.

"I just kept training, kept myself fit and one of the guys from the Drug Free Powerlifting Association invited me to one of their competitions."

Four titles later and Whyte has been perusaded to postpone initial plans to bow out after Switzerland.

He said: "I met the president of the World Drug Free Powerlifting Association and they were so pleased with the way I have promoted and been an ambassador for the sport they begged me to stay on for at least one more year.

"I am going to stay on and see if I can further raise the profile of the sport while winning even more trophies and medals along the way.

"I am going to re-qualify for the British Championships in July in Bradford and I am going to defend my world title in Italy in October."

Whyte is also keen to raise the profile of the sport and promote the importance of the drug-free element.

He said: "One of the main things for me is to encourage youngsters into the sport.

"I'm living proof of what can be achieved without the use of performance-enhancing substances.

"It's life damaging and it's body damaging. It will do the business for you in the first instance and make you look good on the outside but on the inside you are sustaining serious damage."

Whyte, of Mill Road, Hampton, and his fellow competitors are tested at the end of every event to ensure fair play but he believes there could be problems if it became an Olympic sport.

He said: "If we bring the Olympic aspect into it, it also brings in the will to win at all costs.

"People will cut corners and take chances and I think they will do anything to become an Olympic champion because of what it means both financially and prestige-wise."

He added: "We go and do 10 and 12-hour shifts first and then drag ourselves to the gym when we don't really want to. So we are really self-motivated and self-promoted.

"I would like to see it become an Olympic sport but it might be a bit too late for me."