WORCESTER Athletic Club ace Alice Wright stormed to a women’s 10,000-metre bronze medal at the European Under 23s Championships.

Now a University of New Mexico student in Albuquerque, the 20-year-old ran a personal best of 32 minutes 46.57 seconds to finish in the top three in Estonia competing for Great Britain.

Barnt Green’s Becky Straw, 20, of Birchfield Harriers and the University of Birmingham, finished seventh.

From the gun, it was always going to be a quick race as favourite Jip Vastenburg, of The Netherlands, took up the running. Passing 5,000m in 16.15, the lead group was down to three with GB competitor Rhona Auckland among them.

Running alone in fourth was former King’s School Worcester pupil Wright just shy of 10 seconds back.

With six laps left, the lead group was down to two as Romania runner Madalina Florea became detached.

Scot Auckland stepped up the pace but she could not shake off her Dutch rival.

Further back, the drama continued as the diminutive Wright began to catch Florea, passing her with three laps to go.

With 200m to go, the battles for gold and bronze were still undecided with GB set for at least one medal.

In the end, though, it was two as Wright kicked hard to take bronze, while Auckland fought all the way but had to settle for silver in a PB of 32.22.32.

Wright said: “I’m over the moon! I was just trying to keep to a rhythm as the girls were getting away in front.

“I had my team-mate Calli (Thackery) shouting and keeping me going and I had the GB team in another corner and my dad as well, so all the support kept me going.

“With seven laps to go, I thought I might have a chance and started to pull her back metre by metre.

“Coming into the last lap, I knew it was going to come down to a sprint finish, which it did.

“I’m just so pleased I managed to have a sprint finish.”

Ninth at the halfway mark, Straw also ran a gutsy race, moving through in the final stages to finish a credible seventh, less than 20 seconds outside her PB.