BRITISH steeplechase champion Will Battershill got his season up-and-running properly at an international meeting in Germany on Sunday.

Battershill has had a delayed start to the year due to injury and before the weekend had only done a one-mile steeplechase event and a 3,000m flat race.

But he opened his 3,000m steeplechase campaign with an 8:25.02 run to finish fifth at a meeting in Rehlingen.

The former Ivybridge Community College pupil does have the European Championship qualifying mark, along with fellow Devon athlete Phil Norman and Zac Seddon, who have both run sub-8:22 this season, but was keen to prove his fitness to GB selectors.

Meanwhile, six City of Plymouth up-and-coming athletes competed at the Loughborough International on Sunday.

Ethan Glyde and Nubia Evans-Shields were selected to make their Great Britain under-20 debuts at the event, while Rory Summers, Adam Dingley, Nicolas Maczugowski and Hanna Ulvede competed in guest races.

Commonwealth Youth Games champion Glyde finished sixth overall and first under-20 in the men’s high jump with a 2.07m leap.

Three-times English Schools’ champion Evans-Shields, who was the youngest competitor in the women’s discus international event, came eighth overall with 41.47m.

Summers continued his consistent season in the 400m with a 49.18 second run to finish second in his heat. It was the fifth time he has run under 50 seconds this season and his third time under 49.20.

Maczugowski is also showing good consistency over the 400m hurdles. He clocked 54.90 seconds to finish fourth in his heat and second under-20.

Ulvede competed in the women’s 400m hurdles and clocked 62.66 seconds to take third in the heat.

Meanwhile, Dingley competed in a guest joint under-20/under-18 110m hurdles race. He came fourth overall and first under-18 in 14.17 seconds.

World heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson was among the athletes competing at Loughborough and she was happy to pass on some tips to the City of Plymouth youngsters.