Sean Baldock has set his heart on winning a gold medal at the Olympics.

The 400m ace from Hastings is determined to be top of tree in the world's greatest sporting event.

But Baldock, who caused a major upset in beating Jamie Baulch at the Olympic trials last month, admits he will have to wait four years before realising his dream.

The unassuming 23-year-old was the only Sussex track and field athlete in Sydney for this morning's opening ceremony.

And Baldock admits just being able to compete in the individual event at Sydney is a bonus.

He revealed: "I am looking to four years time to get a medal and hopefully it will be gold.

"That was the aim when Mark Gregory took over as my coach. We looked at 2004 to get gold and to be running the best I can.

"Any championships we made before then would be a bonus. To make this one is unbelievable.

"We never even considered going to this Olympics. We are so far ahead of where we should have been, it is great.

"As long as it keeps going this way, it should be brilliant."

Since teaming up with Eastbourne-based coach Gregory five years ago, Baldock has made tremendous progress and he was expected to go to the Sydney Games as part of the 4x400m relay squad.

But his world turned upside down after finishing second in the trials at Birmingham at the start of August.

Mark Richardson and Baulch had been expected to finish first and second, earning them an automatic ticket for Australia, which would have allowed Iwan Thomas to be granted the third, discretionary place in the team.

Baldock threw the cat among the pigeons by finishing second behind Richardson, which meant the selectors had to choose between Baulch and Thomas. It caused a furore. A big one.

With the added rumblings over Richardson's drugs hearing, and then his withdrawal last week, Baldock's achievements have been overshadowed. But he is not bothered.

The former Hillcrest School pupil, who spent time at Brunel and Brighton universities before giving up his studies to concentrate full time on his athletics, said: "It has taken the pressure off me. It has allowed me to get back to training and doing the job in hand."

His success at the trials surprised Baldock himself. He said: "There was a bit of apprehension before the trials and my aim was just to make the 4x400m.

"If you don't make the team, then it is the end of the season. It all rested on the weekend, so there was quite a lot of pressure.

"I was thinking I would hopefully get in the top four or five and get in the relay team. To come second was unbelievable.

"I knew with about ten metres to go I had beaten Jamie and I knew I was going because I had done the qualifying time the day before. I was ecstatic."

Baldock, who has a best of 45.20, joined Belgrave Harriers in 1997 in order to get European competition. Since then he has won seven caps for Great Britain, a silver medal in the relay at the Commonwealth Games, gold in the relay at the European Championships and a relay bronze in the World Indoor Championships.

Baldock, who also played football for Hastings Town and Sussex under-18s, has been blighted by injury over the last couple of years but he seems to have hit form and fitness at the right time, and is delighted to be going to Australia, his first trip to the country, where he will be joined by girlfriend Jodee.

Baldock said: "It will be like May time over there. It is just going into their summer, so it should suit us British athletes.

"I have never raced Michael Johnson before. Hopefully I will get him in my heat all the way through because it would be great to race against the best person in the world. This could be his last year as well.

"At the moment. I am ranked 15 out of everyone who is going, so looking at it realistically a semi-final would be my final. If I went any further that would be amazing. I am just going there to enjoy it.

"If I go out in my heat in the first round, which I don't think I will, I will be disappointed but it will put me in good stead for the next one in 2004."

While individual glory is probably beyond Baldock, a relay medal has to be a realistic aim, even though Richardson's withdrawal has hampered the team.

He said: "Everyone is running well. I don't think we will touch the Americans.

"But we are ranked within the next three teams and can get a medal."