THE Olympics provided a chance meeting for two former Hinchingbrooke School students.

Iwan Thomas, 38, a former BBC Sports Personality of the Year, who grew up in Godmanchester, was at the pinnacle of his career when Martin Richardson, 27, attended the Huntingdon school.

Since Mr Richardson, who lived in Cob Place, Godmanchester, for 16 years, graduated from drama school in 2010, they have met several times ... and last week he did so dressed as one of the Queen’s guard welcoming French and Belgian Olympic athletes at St Pancras station.

Mr Thomas, a former 400m runner, was there as an Olympic ambassador.

Mr Richardson said: “I often do promotional bits like these and I had no idea Iwan would be there.

“It’s great to meet him because we reminisce about growing up in Godmanchester and being at Hinchingbrooke School.

“I’ve met him a few times now and we always have a chat about our memories. He always says it’s nice to see someone from Hinchingbrooke doing so well.”

The pair’s previous meetings included have been at running at the start and finish line of the Great South Run and the London Marathon.

Mr Richardson said: “At school he held all the records and it was a challenge to try to beat and smash them and but I didn’t come close.

“I held the cross country and the long distance records so I was nowhere near his sprint times,” he added.

“It’s a bit different now., I take running very seriously and am a member of a running club in London and I seemed to beat him and by some margin!.”

The actor, who has performed in productions at the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds and appeared in a Lynx deodorant advert, has just finished shooting British film Two Days in the Smoke and features in the Channel 4 Phones 4 U adverts.

He will be keeping an eye on the Olympic gymnastics with some interest as he used to train with Louis Smith at the Huntingdon Gym.

The next time the two will meet will be the Great South Run in October where the actor will hope to beat the athlete one more time.