Olympic discus thrower Emeka Udechuku is dieting - in search of a place on Britain's team for next year's Beijing Olympics.

A decade after becoming the only British heavy thrower to ever win a European junior title, Udechuku, 27, has lost almost four stones in a bid to take part in his second Olympic Games.

He proved the regime is working by winning the discus at the Accenture Loughborough International on Sunday with a throw of 56.44m - the best by a British athlete this season.

The successful banker, a former Dulwich College student, tipped the scales at 22st in mid-winter.

He said: "My trainer Mike Winch thought I was carrying too much tub and I concurred.

"If I am to get in shape for 2008, I have to take the pain of not being at my best for the first half of this year."

Winch explained: "Emeka's job in Barclay's involves lots of business lunches and dinners.

"He was moving up to 22 stones and I said: If you are serious about getting to the Olympics next year, you have got to lose weight and then rebuild your fitness'.

"He has lost between three and four stones by just eating sensibly, cutting down the quantity and the excessive -carbohydrates.

"Now he is a slimline 18st."

Udechuku managed 54.14m in the British League Premiership a fortnight ago, more than 10m down on his lifetime best, achieved in 2004 when he qualified for the Athens Olympics.

But Winch believes the best is yet to come.

"He is now in the gym, and has 15-minute runs before and after his sessions, starting to build-up his fitness," he said.

"Emeka has increased his protein input and is taking vitamins to help. His ideal weight is 19.7st - that's his target at the moment."

Athens was Emeka's first Olympics but he failed to qualify for the final. His best throw was 58.41m.

He was outstanding as a teenager, setting his first age group record at 13 when he threw 50.76m.

At Dulwich College, he won five English Schools titles. He has also taken gold medals in the AAA Championships at all age levels from U15 to senior level.

Udechucku became European junior champion in 1997 and won World junior silver a year later.

As a senior, he was chosen for both shot and discus in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, placing sixth - a performance he repeated in Melbourne at the 2006 games.