Great Britain’s Ben Pattison grabbed a brilliant bronze at the World Championships – and revealed he had life-saving heart surgery just three years ago.

The 21-year-old became the first British male athlete to win an 800m medal at the World Championships since Peter Elliott’s silver in 1987.

It came after an operation during the Covid pandemic to fix a heart issue which had seen his heart rate skyrocket to 250 beats per minute.

Pattison grabbed third behind champion Marco Aprop and Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi in Budapest.

He said: “I had Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. It was a bit scary at the time. It was Covid years so I didn’t miss out on racing but I was awake for the whole thing. It was a bit surreal. I was watching.

“They had to burn off a bit of my heart. At the time it was very scary but I had the right people around me.

“When they rang me they were pretty worried and as soon as they told me I wasn’t allowed to exercise at all.

“All I was allowed to do was go for walks, so I said to myself I’m going to go for walks every day. I had a lot of my friends on PS4 because it was the Covid times. So we’d wake up, get on Call of Duty.

“I remember when I got told I was like: ‘Is this my running career done?’ I almost had in the back of my head: ‘Is this the reason I’m good at running, because I’ve got this freaky heart?’

“I was almost worried when I got back I wouldn’t be the same.”

Pattison won bronze at last year’s Commonwealth Games but was not expected to challenge for the podium at the National Athletics Centre.

“I’ve never been the stand-out guy,” said the Loughborough Business Analytics graduate, who ran one minute 44.83 seconds.

“I’ve always been the guy on the team that’s been in the second or third place. I don’t win a lot of the domestic races but when it matters, I’m there.

“I’ve never not made a final in my life. I’ve got a Commonwealth medal and a world medal. If you’d told 10-year-old Ben he retired with a 1.44 personal best, a Commonwealth and world medal he’d have gone: ‘Who’s this looney?'”

Dina Asher-Smith was missing from the women’s 4x100m relay as Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and Daryll Neita claimed bronze.

Asher-Smith, who came seventh in the 200m final on Friday, revealed she had been dealing with a neural problem following the 100m semi last week.

The 27-year-old was unable to feel her legs in the closing stage of her race and will now leave the Championships without a medal.

The quartet still produced a season’s best of 41.97s to finish third as the USA and Jamaica claimed gold and silver.

Williams said: “We found out this morning (about Asher-Smith’s absence) but we’ve all done changes together. We all work well together. If Dina was here, great. She’s not here and we still got a medal.”

Neita added: “I’m really feeling this as a major stepping stone towards Paris and the Olympics. But in terms of the relay, it’s just another amazing medal to add to my collection.”

Jeremiah Azu, Zharnel Hughes, Adam Gemili and Eugene Amo-Dadzie finished fourth in the men’s 4x100m relay behind the USA, Italy and Jamaica.

The men of Lewis Davey, Charlie Dobson, Rio Mitcham and Alex Haydock-Wilson reached their 4x400m relay final.

Laviai Nielsen, Amber Anning, Nicole Yeargin and Yemi Mary John also reached their 4x400m relay final in three minutes 23.33s.

It was always expected to be an almighty clash between reigning women’s 4x100m relay champions United States and Olympic champions Jamaica. In the end, it was the Americans who prevailed in the final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday.

The American quartet of Tamari Davis, Twanisha Terry, Gabrielle Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson, topped the event in a Championship record 41.03s Championship Record, ahead of their Jamaican counterparts – Natasha Morrison, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shashalee Forbes and Shericka Jackson –who ended in season’s best 41.21s.

Great Britain’s quartet of Asha Phillip, Imani Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and Daryll Neita, was third in a season’s best 41.97s.

During the event, Fraser-Pryce who has been braving a chronic knee injury, suffered what is reported to be a muscle strain, but like a warrior, pushed through the difficulty to safely hand off the baton, ensuring the country ended with a medal.

Jamaica’s men’s 4x100m team secured a bronze medal on day eight of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Saturday.

The quartet of Ackeem Blake, 100m finalists Oblique Seville and Ryiem Forde and 100m semi-finalist Rohan Watson combined to run 37.76.

The USA’s dream team of Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, Brandon Carnes and Noah Lyles ran a world leading 37.38 for gold while Olympic champions, Italy, ran 37.62 for silver.

Grenada’s Lindon Victor took home a historic bronze medal in the decathlon on day eight of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Saturday.

The 30-year-old two-time Commonwealth champion took home the country’s first ever major championship medal in the event with a national record 8756 points.

Canada’s Pierce LePage and Damian Warner took gold and silver with 8909 points and 8804 points, respectively.

Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd had to settle for fifth in the women’s shot put final, as American Chase Ealy successfully defended her title at the World Athletic Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday.

Ealy topped the event with a season’s best 20.43m, ahead of China’s Olympic champion Lijao Gong (19.69m), who retained her silver medal from last year –her eight medal at successive World Championships –and Canada’s Sarah Mitton, whose season best 20.08m, earned her a first medal on this stage.

The 30-year-old Thomas-Dodd, who copped silver in Doha in 2019, had a best mark of 19.59m on her third-round effort.

Following her strong recovery performance in qualifying, much was expected of Thomas-Dodd, but the manner in which the event started, indicated that she would require something special to medal.

Healy laid the marker with a season’s best first round effort of 20.35m. At that point, Thomas-Dodd was in third position with an opening throw of 19.38m, while the other American Maggie Ewen was second at 19.51m.

As the competition progressed, Mitton made a big move with a season’s best 19.90m on her third attempt to assume the silver medal position, with Portugal’s Auriol Dongmo joining the party with 19.63m and Thomas-Dodd improving to 19.59m.

However, when things got to the business end, it was the three medallists that produced when it matters most, as Ealy and Mitton, both launched the instruments to their new season’s best, while Gong left it late with her medal-winning mark.

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A prayer before making their way into the stadium was the perfect way for the Jamaican quartet to start their bid in the women’s 4X400m relays and they will indeed challenge for a medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

This, as they booked their spot in Sunday’s showpiece event, after finishing tops in their heat on Saturday.

Cherokee Young, running from lane eight, ran the lead leg for the Jamaicans handing off to Nickesha Pryce, who ran a well-paced leg to send Shiann Salmon on her way.

Salmon did well to maintain the gap for Stacey-Ann Williams, who only had to run steady and true to take the team home in a new world leading time 3:22.74.

They won ahead of Canada (3:23.29), with Netherlands (3:23.75) taking the third automatic qualifying spot.

Great Britain won the second heat in 3:23.33, ahead of the favourites United States, who were later disqualified via Technical Rule 24.7, as they passed the baton outside the takeover zone.

That meant Belgium (3:23.63) and Italy (3:23.86) got second and third respectively, while Poland (3:24.05) and Ireland (3:26.18) got the two fastest non-automatic qualifying spots.

The final will be the curtain-call event of the nine-day Championships at 2:47pm Jamaica time.

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Jamaica secured a spot in the final of the men’s 4x400m relay on day eight of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Saturday.

Jamaica’s quartet of Rusheen McDonald, Jevaughn Powell, Zandrion Barnes and D’Andre Anderson ran 2:59.82 to win the second semi-final ahead of France (3:00.05) and Italy (3:00.14).

On the other hand, Trinidad & Tobago’s team of Renny Quow, Asa Guevara, Shakeem McKay and Jereem Richards ran 3:01.54 for seventh in the first semi-final. USA (2:58.47), India (2:59.05), Great Britain (2:59.42) and Botswana (2:59.42) made it through from that race.

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has congratulated the “exceptional, record-breaking” Shericka Jackson.

Jackson won the women’s 200 metres at the World Championships in Budapest on Friday by setting a championship record of 21.41. 

Minister Grange said today’s performance was the continuation of an “exciting and outstanding run by Jackson who is one of the greatest 200 metres athletes the world has ever seen.” 

Jackson finished way ahead of the American pair of Gabrielle Thomas (21.81) and Sha’Carri Richardson (21.92).

Jamaica’s Andrew Hudson finished eighth in the men’s 200 metres which was won by Noah Lyles of the United States.

The Minister said she was happy that Hudson was able to run in the final after he was involved in a minor accident which affected his performance in the semifinals.

Minister Grange has also extended congratulations to Shanieka Ricketts (14.93) and Kimberley Williams (14.38) who both recorded season’s best marks while finishing fourth and seventh respectively in the women’s triple jump won by the Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas with 15.08 metres.

The Minister has sent best wishes to high jumper Lamara Distin as well as the women’s and men’s sprint relay teams who have advanced to their respective finals.

Jamaica’s lone competitor Danniel Thomas-Dodd remains in contention to possibly add another medal to the country’s tally, as she progressed to the women’s shot put final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday.

Thomas-Dodd, the only Caribbean representative in action on the morning session, launched the instrument to a best mark of 19.36m, comfortably clearing the automatic qualifying standard of 19.10m.

The 30-year-old, who copped silver in Doha in 2019, seems poised to replicate or even better that feat, provided she puts together a good series of throws in the final scheduled for the evening session at 1:15pm Jamaica time.

This, as she had to recover from a sluggish start where she opened with 17.75m and 18.77m, before achieving the qualifying mark.

To medal, Thomas-Dodd will need to possibly match or better her 19.77m National Record, as the final includes reigning champion American Chase Ealy, as well as last year’s silver medallist and Olympic Champion, Lijao Gong of China.

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Dina Asher-Smith vowed to hit back at the Olympics after battling a mystery problem at the World Championships.

The 2019 200m champion missed out on the podium on Friday night in Budapest after coming seventh as Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson stormed to a title defence.

Jackson ran the second best time in history to win in 21.41 seconds ahead of the USA’s Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson, before Noah Lyles defended his 200m title.

Asher-Smith, who was also beaten by fifth-placed British team-mate Daryll Neita, admitted she suffered an issue in the 100m semi-final on Sunday but still feels it gives her belief ahead of next year’s Paris Olympics.

She said: “I was going great and then I just couldn’t feel anything below my waist.

“That’s why I was able to go and run the (100m) final because I wasn’t in pain but neurally I didn’t have any control. I was still dealing with that.

“It was about still coming back and just making everything work. I’m grateful to have got through it all in one piece after just not being able to feel from here (waist) downwards during that 100m.

“It was such a shame because I really was on the way to something quite good.

“But I think it gave me quite a bit of self-confidence, how I was running going into it and how I felt and despite the fact that I got halfway through the 100m (and then could not feel her legs).

“I’m taking a lot from that and pushing into Paris that I can be very much on top of the podium.”

Neita set a personal best of 22.21s in the semi-final and then broke it again to clock 22.16s in her first global 200m final.

She said: “I performed well. My last final was Tokyo (Olympics, 100m) when I came last. I came fifth in a very fast final, I know I can perform. I’ve got time to get better. I ran a PB and yesterday so I am raising my game.”

Lyles completed his double in Hungary to prove he is ready to claim Usain Bolt’s sprint king crown going into the Olympics.

The American defended his 200m title in 19.52 seconds ahead of team-mate Erriyon Knighton and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana as Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes finished fourth in 20.02s.

It came after Lyles won the 100m in Budapest on Sunday to become the first man to win both sprints at the worlds since Bolt in 2015.

“It is a great feeling to know I did something not a lot of people have done,” he said. “I came out and showed it. I am double champion. Usain Bolt has done it and him saying to me that he sees what I am doing and he respects it, it is amazing.”

Hughes refused to be downbeat after his fourth place, having won 100m bronze on Sunday.

He said: “No, there’s nothing to be disappointed about. I gave it my best and got fourth. That’s nothing to be disappointed about. Obviously I wanted to be on the podium but I’m still happy.

“You saw how close I was. Listen, with a better lane, I would have been on the podium, honestly.”

He will join the 4x100m relay team for Saturday’s final after they qualified third in their heat in 38.01s.

Preparation was interrupted after Reece Prescod withdrew from the squad on the eve of the Championships and Eugene Amo-Dadzie needed to pull them back from fourth to third on the final leg.

He said: “It’s always nice to run men down, put guys on notice. I’m confident, I’m going to back myself and I trust these guys to get he baton in my hand. It was fun. It was a surreal boyhood dream.”

The women’s team of Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and  Annie Tagoe qualified for the final fifth fastest in 42.33s but Neita and Asher-Smith are due to run on Saturday night to boost their medal hopes.

Jamaica's Andrew Hudson and Alexander Ogando of Dominican Republic failed to challenge for a medal, as American Noah Lyles completed the sprint double with another dominant performance in the men’s 200 metres final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Friday. 

It was heartbreak for the Caribbean which ended outside of the medals in a scintillating women’s triple jump competition that was worth savouring at the World Athletic Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Friday.

While Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas (15.08m) secured a fourth-consecutive World title ahead of Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (15.00m) and Cuban Leyanis Perez Hernandez (14.96m), Jamaica's duo of Shaneika Ricketts and Kimberly Williams, as well as Dominican Thea Lafond, were left empty handed. 

Ricketts (14.92m) and Lafond (14.90m), in particular, would have felt hard done, as their marks which were a season’s best and National Record, respectively, were not good enough on the day. Williams was seventh with a best jump of 14.38m.

There was an electrifying start to the event with the first four jumpers setting the tone for what was to come for the remainder of the event.

Ricketts opened at an initial season’s best 14.86m and Ukraine’s Bekh-Romanchuk, also opened at a season’s best 15.00m, while Cuba’s Perez Hernandez opened at 14.96m and Lafond rewriting Dominica’s National Record with a 14.71m leap to start.

That bettered the 14.62m Lafond achieved in qualifying.

As the competition progressed, the medal places continually switched hands with the women laying down marker after marker, with the Dominican and Jamaican going even further on their initial efforts. 

However, it was Rojas, like a true champion that shook off a shaky start to her series to cut the sand at the winning mark on her very last attempt.

Shericka Jackson defended her 200m world title on Friday at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. Having lost the 100m final on Monday, Jackson left it all on the track on Friday, storming away from the stacked field to win in 21.41, breaking her own championship record of 21.45 set in Oregon in 2022. The time is also a new national record.

Jackson now has the second and third fastest times ever in the event.

In Jackson’s wake was American Gabby Thomas who clocked 21.81 for the silver medal. Sha'Carri Richardson, the 100m champion, picked up her second medal of the championships running a personal best 21.92 for bronze.

Julien Alfred of St Lucia, fifth in the 100m final, finished fourth in 22.05 while Daryll Neita of Great Britain ran a personal best 22.16 for fifth place.

Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas finished sixth in 22.29 with Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain close behind in 22.34.

Marie Jose Ta Lou was eighth in 22.64.

Jackson was winning Jamaica's third gold medal in Budapest and ninth medal overall.

Adelle Tracey successfully advanced to the final of the women’s 800m at the IAAF World Athletics Championships on Friday in Budapest.

Tracey produced a personal best 1:58.99 to advance to the final as one of the fastest losers after finishing fourth in the third semi-final. Mary Moraa (1:58.48), Athing Mu (1:58.78) and Halimah Nakaayi (1:58.89) were the top three finishers in the race.

This continues an excellent week for Tracey. She also competed in the 1500m, running a national record 3:58.77 in the semi-finals.

Natoya Goule-Toppin competed in the second of three semi-finals but failed to advance after running 2:00.78 to finish third behind Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie (2:00.28) and the USA’s Raevyn Rogers (2:00.47).

Jamaica secured their spot in the women’s 4x100m relays finals, after registering a comfortable victory in the heats, while Trinidad and Tobago missed out, at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary on Friday.

Running from lane two, the Jamaican quartet of Briana Williams, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shashalee Forbes and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 41.70s ahead of Great Britain 42.33 and Switzerland (42.64s).

Trinidad and Tobago’s quartet of Akilah Lewis, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Reyare Thomas, who ran a blistering 9.66s on the third leg, and Leah Bertrand, placed fifth from lane eight in 42.85s.

Unfortunately, that was not good enough to progress as one of the non-automatic qualifiers on time. Those spots were taken by Netherlands (42.53s) and Poland (42.65s), who were fourth and fifth respectively in heat two.

That heat was expectedly won by United States, who progressed as the fastest qualifiers in 41.59s, ahead of Cote D’Ivoire, who achieved a new Area Record 41.90s and Italy, who finished in a National Record 42.14s.

The final will be contested tomorrow at 2:50pm Jamaica time.

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