A lawyer is set to swap his pin stripe suit for sports kit and a stopwatch after being chosen as an official for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Paul Trincas was one of 250,000 applicants who wanted to play a part in the running of the games and he was delighted to be among less than 200 from across the UK to join the “athletic team.”

Although he is unsure as to what his exact role will be, he is hoping he may be able to combine his expertise with his love of athletics to take on a role supporting official drug testers.

Mr Trincas, 54, who works in the Wantage office of Charles Lucas and Marshall, said: “I am delighted to have been chosen as part of the athletics team and to be in the arena with the competitors.

“One of the categories I applied for was to be part of the anti-doping team testing athletes but I love athletics and to be part of such a great occasion within the main Olympic Stadium will be the experience of a lifetime."

Mr Trincas is well qualified for the role. As a schoolboy he was a record holder in sprint hurdles and went on to compete at national level.

Now he coaches youngsters in sprinting and he travels to events around the country.

And he reckons his legal background will also serve him well with whatever task he is picked for.

He said: “I am a commercial litigator and spend a lot of time in court, so I am used to being disciplined and thinking on my feet. When you speak with athletes, you occasionally have to assert your authority.”

Mr Trincas will have to be on duty for 11 days of the track and field events and his services could also be called on for the Paralympic Games.

He admits it is not exactly a family holiday, but wife Wendy and son Jonathan, 23, are used to him being away at events, while 20-year-old daughter Emma has followed in his footsteps as a sprinter.

He will now have to undertake a variety of training and briefing courses in the run up to London 2012, as well as attending various test events to ensure he is well prepared for 2012.