NORTH YORKSHIRE shot putter Scott Lincoln believes the best is yet to come after a tenth-place finish at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

Lincoln's best effort of 20.36m was not enough to reach the final and he watched on as two-time Olympic champion Ryan Crouser added the World indoors title to his collection with a championship record of 22.77m.

But the Northallerton athlete was decidedly upbeat after his performance and insisted it is just a case of fine margins before he starts adding an extra metre or two.

"I have taken some massive steps forward, it is a lot closer than it maybe looks on paper," said Lincoln. "The last throw was there but there was just a bit of a finger-breaker at the end, I bent my fingers back, it is just one of those things.

"This time two years ago when I came to the Worlds I was way down, I think I came last. I scraped in this time on an invite and thought I would just see what happens, and it didn’t go too badly.

"I knew I was in shape to go big, obviously I haven’t quite connected yet but to go 21m indoors is massive for me at this stage in the season."

Lincoln arrived in Glasgow off the back of sealing his eighth UK Indoor title in Birmingham two weeks ago, but upgraded on his winning distance of 20.08m to continue his strong start to the season.

The 30-year-old threw beyond 20 metres on all three attempts, twice measuring 20.23m before pushing out to 20.36m.

Lincoln’s attention now turns to the summer and he is taking plenty of encouragement ahead of the European Athletics Championships in Rome in June, before the main event of the Paris Olympics. 

"If I am being honest, me and my coach sat down and made a plan for this year and the World Indoors weren’t actually on the plan, we said we will train and see how it goes," he added. 

"Me and my coach just said we will use this as a stepping stone for the summer, the Europeans and the Olympics are the main aim. 

"We will build from here, another frustrating evening not making another final but the results don’t actually show how I am feeling right now. It is a bit bittersweet."

* The world’s best athletes were in Scotland for the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 from 1-3 March and you can keep up to date with the latest on the World Athletics website, its associated platforms and via broadcasters around the world.