BASINGSTOKE and Mid Hants athlete Ben Pattison has won bronze in the 800m race final at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest.

As previously reported, Pattison, from Hook, made it to the final after an impressive third-place finish in the qualifying semi-final.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the race, the 21-year-old said: “I don't know why you're interviewing me. I can't think of anything to say! I crossed the line and I feel like I'm going to wake up in a minute. All day I've had people telling me I'm going to medal and then halfway through the day I started to believe it.

READ MORE: Basingstoke's Pattison qualifies for World Championships in Budapest with 800m PB

“My mate Tommy Townley wrote a song for me, ‘Ben Pattison is coming home with a medal around his neck’. Tommy Townley, you were right!

“Going into the race I thought I don't want to leave with any regrets. I got out hard. It was a slow first lap which suits me and in the last 100m I said to myself I've got a medal here. I just kept pushing. To the line, it was a battle of who wants it more and I came out on top. I don't really know what's going on right now.”

The race, which took place late on Saturday, August 26, saw Marco Arop win gold for Canada with a time of 1:44:24, while Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi secured silver.