Preston Harrier Patrick Dever came sixth in the 3,000m on his Diamond League debut

The 24-year-old Preston Harrier came sixth in the 3,000m in Gateshead.

The Diamond League is a series of athletics meetings held across Europe during the summer and attracts many of the best athletes in the world.

It was Dever's first experience of an event of this magnitude but he certainly did not freeze on the night.

A 10,000m and 5,000m specialist, his time of 7:37.39 was a personal best at the shorter distance and he was just two seconds outside finishing on the podium.

The race was won by Spaniard Mohamed Katir, who came home in a time of 7:27.64 which edged out Stewart McSweyn, of Australia, who was second in time of 7:28.94.

In third place was Dever's British team-mate Andrew Butchart, who clocked 7:35.18.

Butchart had finished behind Dever when the Leyland athlete won the 5,000m at the UK Championship last month.

At the same meeting, Chorley's Holly Bradshaw continued her build up to the Tokyo Olympics by finishing second in the pole vault.

The former Parklands High school pupil cleared 4.71m, which was six centimetres behind winner Sandi Morris of the USA

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