BEN Pattison has become the first British man to win a world 800m medal since 1987 after he secured bronze in the final at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest.
Congratulations for the 21-year-old from Hook have been flooding in following his win on August 26.
It's a special moment for Ben Pattison! 🤩
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 26, 2023
The 21-year-old takes #WorldAthleticsChamps 800m bronze 🥉
It's Great Britain's first medal in the event since 1987! #BBCAthletics pic.twitter.com/VDOn1Jiyav
British 400m runner Matthew Hudson-Smith, who won a silver medal at the championships, praised Pattison for his win, saying: “What a boy.”
Team GB described Pattison’s run as “an incredible breakthrough performance”.
Comedian Lee Hurst said he became emotional when Pattison won bronze and congratulated him on his achievement, saying: “Well done Ben Pattison.”
Following his win Pattison told BBC Sport: “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.”
However, at one point in his career, Pattison feared he may never run again after being diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening heart condition.
He underwent successful surgery during the Covid pandemic, but could never have imagined that just three years later he would win a bronze medal in Budapest.
“I remember when I got told I was like: ‘Is this my running career done?’ he told BBC Sport.
Pattison was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which can cause an abnormally fast and irregular heartbeat.
Pattison clocked 1:44.83 in a sprint finish down the last 100m, becoming the first British male to win a world 800m medal since Peter Elliot in 1987.
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