WORCESTER Athletic Club ace Jack Hocking clinched a bronze medal and smashed a personal best at the British Universities and Colleges Sport Outdoor Athletics Championships.

The promising 19-year-old recorded a time of 47.5 seconds to finish fifth in the 400-metre final in Bedford.

It was a second better than the former Worcester Sixth Form College student’s previous best of 48.48 and resulted in him climbing to 18th in the country over that distance.

Hocking also helped to break long-standing University of Birmingham records in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays, securing third place in the latter.

“To finish fifth in the individual final was unexpected as I ran a huge personal best,” Hocking said.

“My PB was 48.9 last year and I dropped that down to 48.48 at the start of the outdoor season.

"I ran 47.5 at the weekend which was a whole second off.

“The time has secured me an invitation to the British Athletics Championships and put me in the top 20 seniors in the country so I am really happy with that.

“It has been a really good season for me. I am in my first year at university and have noticed a real difference as my times have dropped.”

There was also good performances from Worcester runners Jenny Nesbitt and Oliver Biddle.

Nesbitt from the University of Bath clinched bronze in the 5,000m final in a time of 16.30.16.

Biddle from the University of Gloucestershire finished third in the 200m semi-final in 21.92.