PLYMOUTH hurdler David King could not have been closer to achieving Great Britain’s World Indoor Championship qualifying time in Ghent on Saturday night.

The 21-year-old former Devonport High School for Boys pupil set a new personal best of 7.66 seconds for the 60m hurdles event in the Belgium city.

That is just one hundredth of a second off the World Championship qualifying mark British Athletics have set to make the March event in Portland, USA.

King achieved his new PB in the heats in Gent. He was the fastest qualifier for the final, finishing ahead of China’s Honglin Zhang and Wenjun Xie in this race.

However, in the final later in the evening, King was just edged out on a photo finish for the win by France’s Ben Sedecias.

Sedecias was given the victory in 7.71 seconds, with King clocking 7.72 and Xie 7.73.

Afterwards King said on social media: “Another PB here in Gent – 7.66. Couldn’t be close to the British Athletics qualifying time for Portland of 7.65. It will come.”

King had clocked 7.68 seconds at the end of last month in his opening race of the year to claim victory at the Welsh Senior Championships in Cardiff.

The City of Plymouth star is hoping to reach top form for the British Indoor Championships at the end of this month. They will act as trials for the World Championships.