THEY say good things come to those who wait, and there haven’t been many athletes as patient as Kyron Duke.

The 27-year-old has quite the collection of silver and bronze medals from major championships over the years.

But while obviously proud to consistently appear on the podium at world and European level, the Cwmbran para-athlete is still missing the one medal he wants more than any other.

However, that could all change in 2020, with the F41 shot put world record holder hoping it will be third time lucky at the Paralympics – and it’s that elusive gold Duke desires.

After setting a new world best of 14.19m in June, Duke went into last month’s World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai as favourite for the title.

He had to settle for third place on the day as Uzbekistan’s Bobirjon Omonov stunned everyone, including Duke, to take gold with a new championship record.

Reflecting on his bronze, Duke said: “It wasn’t the medal I was hoping for and what I knew I could get.

“You can be the number one in the world, but if you’re not right in that one little thing then it can all go to pot on the day.

“I’ve had silvers and bronzes for goodness knows how long now, since I first started in 2010, and I’ve been waiting for that gold for ages.

“It was there for the taking in Dubai, but it didn’t happen on the day.

“My world record is way beyond what the two top guys threw, so I was down in the dumps and didn’t even realise I had come third.

“One of the GB media guys was trying to throw me a flag and saying, ‘come on Ky, you’ve come third, celebrate’.

“I came home and relaxed with the family, got over it, and now it’s back to the drawing board and getting ready for next year.”

On Omonov, he added: “I’d never met the gold medallist in my life before Dubai, he wasn’t even up there on the rankings. It was a big shock to everyone, not just me.

“People come out of the woodwork all the time, they hide away and train, and they know what they can do.

“They qualify and then blow everyone out of the water.

“I can’t judge the guy, he stepped up to the mark and did what he needed to do.”

Duke may well go to Japan with a first major gold already in his back pocket, with Bydgoszcz in Poland set to host the Europeans three months earlier.

That said, it’s a Paralympic title that all para-athletes want, and Duke is no different.

“The Paralympics is the one to go for, there’s no better place to win gold,” he said.

“Hopefully it’s third time lucky for me!

“I don’t have a Paralympic medal, I’ve always come fourth or fifth, so this is the one. I want a medal. I want gold, but I’d be happy with a Paralympic medal.

“But I know I can get gold and that is what I will be fighting for.”