A young athlete from Charminster has won a bronze medal at the World Athletics Under 20 Championships.

Running the 3000m in Lima, Peru, former Dorchester Athletic Club star Edward Bird produced a battling last lap and final surge to deny Ybeltal Gashahun of Ethiopia a podium place by just two one hundredths of a second.

Bird was the bronze medallist in the 2022 European Under-18 3000m Championships and he finished 18th in the 2023 World Under-20 Cross-Country Championships, but this was his track debut on the global stage.

The young runner began his career with Dorchester Athletic Club, before moving to Poole Athletic Club four years ago.

He studied at Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester and is now in his second year at The University of Kentucky in the United States.

Club-mate William Rabjohns posted 1:51.20 in his 800m heat, but was eliminated at the semi-final stage (1:56.19).

World Athletics Under-20 Championships 3000m result: 1 Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen (Norway) 8:20.56, 2 Denis Kipkoech (Kenya) 8:20.79, 3 Edward Bird (Team GB) 8:21.00, 4 Ybeltal Gashahun (Ethiopia) 8:21.02