A former Olympic gold medal-winning athlete has captivated the minds of schoolchildren with a masterclass in sprinting.

Darren Campbell won the top prize at the 2004 Athens Olympics as part of the GB Team which raced to victory in the 4x100m relay.

The sprinter, now part of the coaching staff at Cardiff City FC, visited Great Heath Primary School in Mildenhall to talk with the children.

Headteacher Steven Vincent said his visit was inspiring not only for the pupils but teachers as well. He said: “It was brilliant, absolutely fantastic; we were blown away to have him here. It was really good for the children who loved it – it’s not every day you get an Olympic athlete come to school.

“He gave an assembly about raising aspirations and not giving up and that’s a focus for a lot of us in this area – thinking about aspirations and what children can achieve.”

After the assembly Mr Campbell gave sprinting tips to a group of about 40 pupils – including children from Mildenhall College Academy.

The visit was made possible by Ian Jackson, sports development manager for Forest Heath Sports Partnership. He said: “Darren was asked a few questions in the assembly and he thoroughly enjoyed it and it was not just him – it was the adults and kids too – it was fantastic. It was a lot of fun and those taking part got a lot out of it.”

PE co-ordinators from schools in the area were also invited to get advice from their counterparts in west Suffolk.