A British athlete has described her first ever senior championships as an "amazing experience".

And Ellie Baker, 22, who grew up in Borehamwood, has her sights on even greater stages after an impressive showing in the European Indoor Championships earlier this month.

Runner Ellie, who competes in the 800 metres, finished fourth in her debut senior final which she described as a "big step forward" for her.

Ellie, a former pupil at Shenley Primary School, tweeted: "I’m proud of the way I ran the last few days & I enjoyed every minute of it! Being an athlete you always want more but processing it, 4th in Europe is a big step forward for me & I can’t wait for what’s to come. Thank you for the support."

The 800m runner, who is now based in Brighton, has already tasted success at junior level, winning silver at the u20 and u23 championships, but this was Ellie's first shot at pitching herself up against the very best in her field.

Speaking about her experience in Poland, Ellie told the Times: "It was an amazing experience. It was nice to be in a team environment which brings out the best in you.

"It was a massive learning curve and I learnt a lot about recovery, tactics, and a great deal about Championship racing. It has given me a lot of confidence."

Ellie says she is hoping she can secure a place in Great Britain's 800m squad for the Olympics in Tokyo this summer, although she admits the competition for a place is "ridiculously strong".

Her race in Poland last weekend was won by compatriot Keely Hodgkinson, 19, while fellow Brit Isabelle Boffey came sixth.

Ellie's performance did not go unnoticed with British 1,500m record holder Laura Muir tweeting: "What a fantastic run from @EllieBaker1998 in 4th, hope you are proud of yourself Ellie, great champs" while London Marathon legend Paula Radcliffe said it was a "great run" from Ellie and said there is "more to come".

Borehamwood Times: