REBECCA Jeggo says winning bronze at the Muller British Athletics Championships is a big confidence boost.

The Colchester Harriers athlete was in superb form at the prestigious event in Manchester, bagging her first outdoor national bronze medal after clocking a season's best time of 24.51 seconds in the 200 metres.

Jeggo also reached the 100m final where she competed against junior sprint world record holder Amy Hunt and GB athletes Imani Lara Lansiquiot and Junior World medallist Kristal Awuah.

The 20-year-old’s medal-winning display at Sportscity follows the bronze she gained at the National Indoor Championships earlier this year and Jeggo says she was delighted with the outcome.

She said: “I’m very happy.

“It was the only Championship that was happening, so it was great to run.

“I’d never made another final and I made two in the same weekend.

“After the indoor medal I got earlier in the year, I was over the moon to get the outdoor one.

“To get a bronze medal is a major thing and to do it in the year that we’ve had gives me a lot of confidence, going into next season.

“Going into the final, if you went on times on paper I had the slowest PB but I felt I had a really good shot at a medal.

“It’s been lovely to receive so many great messages from people.”

Jeggo has only had access to an athletics track for three weeks, following the Covid-19 restrictions.

Tracks across the country were shut through the pandemic and her home track in Colchester has been closed for refurbishment as well, so Jeggo has made full use of the flat sports fields at the University of Essex and a home-styled gym to keep in top form.

She added: “It’s been a very funny year; I didn’t think I would have a season at all.

“I’ve been training at the University of Essex and it’s helped me stay motivated.

“It wasn’t just not having the track during lockdown; it was also not having it after lockdown had eased.

“But the training I’ve done has really kept me going and I’ve tried to make the best of a difficult situation.

“I’d have competed triple the amount that I have done, had it been a normal season.”

With so many big names not in attendance at this year’s delayed British Athletics Championships, it was down to some very exciting up-coming athletes to take the stage at Sportscity.

Jeggo enjoyed an excellent Championships having maintained her strict training regime supported by fellow Harrier Heather Rose.

On Friday evening under the glare of the spotlights and with the temperature dropping by the minute, Jeggo clocked the fastest reaction in the third and final heat of the women’s 100m.

Drawn in lane four alongside the eventual British champion and finally getting a chance to race in near ideal wind conditions she executed a confident race to take second place and automatic qualification to the final in a legal PB of 11.85 (-0.3).

Her progression through saw her finish in seventh place in 11.87 (2.1), competing against junior sprint world record holder Amy Hunt and GB athletes Imani Lara Lansiquiot and Junior World medallist Kristal Awuah.

At midday on Saturday she was back on the track in the first of just two heats of the 200m.

Two false starts with the immediate disqualification of two of her rivals including the race favourite improved the opportunity for Jeggo to qualify to her second championship final.

Holding her nerve she once again powered out of the blocks and executed a good bend to finish in a strong second place in 24.69s into a head wind.

After being announced, technical difficulties then left the finalists waiting around in blustery, chilly conditions before being called to the start.

Seemingly undeterred Jeggo, placed in lane six got out confidently and came off the bend, showing grit and determination to battle strong cross winds in the home straight.

She held form for a great third place and her first ever outdoor British Championships bronze medal in a respectable season's best time of 24.51s (0.3).