Hampton’s Ashley Bryant performed above his ranking when he finished second out of three Britons in the European junior decathlon championships in Novia Sad, Serbia.

Bryant started well with a strong 100m in 11.50 seconds into a headwind, a long jump of 6.59m and 12.87m in the shot.

Modest performances in the high jump (1.80m) and 400m (50.01) then saw him end the opening day in 20th place.

He started day two strongly with a season’s best 14.96 in the 110m hurdles to rise to ninth overall.

He followed this with another season’s best in the discus of 39.72m, but still slipped to 19th.

He was 18th after a 4.10m pole vault, then won his speciality, the javelin, with a throw of 64.21m to move up to 13th place before the final discipline, the 1,500m.

A lifetime best of 4:42.83 lifted him to 10th place overall with 7,193 points.

He said: “If I hadn’t had such a rubbish first day, I’d have been so much closer.

“I had an awesome hurdles, I hit loads and came away with a decent time so I know it’s there.

“I wanted to come here and do better than my European ranking of 13th, which I did, and, after such a bad first day, I’m pleased.”