First came the torn hamstring during a major track meet in Adelaide.

Then came the torn calf and a problem with his archilles that required cortisone injections to deaden the pain.

And let's not forget the "little niggles" like shin splints that all helped conspire to keep Scott off the track.

But he's back.

Competing in Nowra last week, the 28-year-old sprinter matched his own 18/19s age record from 1999 across 50 metres (5.8 seconds) and set a new senior record in the process.

He also set a new senior record in the 150 metres with 16.2 seconds.

His personal best across 50 metres is 5.6 seconds and across 150 metres 15.6 seconds.

Richardson says he is feeling good and is confident of getting back his "race mentality" after an extended period off the track.

"Nerves get the better of you if you're not used to racing," he told the Times last week.

He now his has sights set on the state club championships in Sydney (representing Nowra) and if all goes well travelling to Manchester for next year's Commonwealth Games.

But at this stage he's not putting any pressure on himself and is happy enough just running races.

Richardson has been a headline maker since his younger days as a student at Ulladulla Primary School and then at Ulladulla High School.

He almost made it to the Sydney 2000 Olympics - winning his heat but performing not so well in the semis.

In the same year he ran the fifth fastest 100 metres time at the World Juniors in Chilli.

Richardson knows that he is older but says age hasn't wearied him.

In fact he says there is a lot of things he knows that he can improve on and - if anything - he will "run smarter" and "more intelligently" from here on in.

He says his primary aim is to run a personal best and if that means qualifying for the Commonwealth or Olympic Games then that would be "awesome".

But at this point in time he's happy competing against himself.

For me it's more of a mental thing now," he told the Times.