Olympic hopeful Ed Prickett has died after being hit by a car at the British Universities Athletics Championship on Sunday.

The Crawley AC star was warming down outside the Gateshead International Stadium after winning his heat of the 5,000m when he was knocked down. The 21-year-old died later that day.

Since joining Crawley AC four years ago, Prickett had steadily climbed the UK rankings and had an outside chance of qualifying for the Olympics this summer.

Coach Jack Shelton said: "The whole club is in a state of shock. Ed was not only a brilliant runner but a really nice lad.

"The future was looking rosy for Ed. It was probably a bit too soon for him to make it to Athens this year but only last week we were discussing plans for the next four years leading up to the next Olympics.

"We had it all worked out and I could see him stepping on the rostrum collecting a medal in Beijing in 2008. It is all so very sad."

Prickett was in the second year of a business studies degree at Nottingham University and was favourite to win the 5,000m title at Gateshead to go with the AAA Under-20 title he took three years ago.

He had recently returned from altitude training at the same South African venue as Sam Haughian, who died in a road accident near Johannesburg last week.

UK Athletics chief executive David Moorcroft said: "This is the second terrible tragedy in a week where one of our best young distance running talents has died in an awful accident.

"It is difficult to imagine what Ed's family and close friends are going through now. The thoughts of everyone in athletics are with them at this awful time."