By Will Jennings in Munich

Nick Miller says his steely Cumbrian heritage helped him navigate the moist Munich terrain after ending his season on a high at the European Championships.

The Carlisle hammer thrower finished eighth with a season’s best effort on Thursday after the evening’s athletics session had been postponed due to thunder and lightning.

Miller, 29, hurled the hammer 77.29m to eclipse his previous best, but was unable to haul himself onto the podium as Polish powerhouse Wojciech Nowicki grabbed gold.

Nowicki racked up a mammoth world leading distance of 82.00m to finish ahead of Hungarian Bence Halasz and Denmark’s Eivind Henriksen and follow up his 2020 Olympic title and 2022 World Championship silver.

Miller also thrived in the wet Bavarian conditions and believes his north-west origins held the key to his success.

The Commonwealth champion said: “Being Cumbrian, I was fine with the rain.

“The conditions didn’t bother me - it was fine for me.

“Me and my coach said before that a season’s best would be a win today.

“It came with the last throw of the competition so I am over the moon.

“It has been a year full of setbacks, so to end it on a high, I am happy and I am just looking forward to next year.”

Miller is a veteran of the British hammer scene and catapulted himself into the international spotlight with a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The year after saw him crowned European Under-23 Championship before a sixth-place finish at the 2017 World Championships cemented his status as a talent to be reckoned with.

Miller went one better than Glasgow 2014 to climb to the top of the Commonwealth podium in the Gold Coast before emulating those exploits this month at the Alexander Stadium.

He delivered a defiant display in Munich and hopes dealing with this summer’s turbulence can stand him in strong stead going forward

“The Worlds weren't so good, but you know that's sports, and you get ups and downs,” he added.

“Things went well at the Commonwealths, and the Europeans were completely different.

“The Commonwealth Games were good, but this competition was a new competition.

“I just wanted to have a go and have fun.”

The multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022, featuring Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Canoe Sprint, Cycling, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Rowing, Sport Climbing, took place 11th-21st August on the 50th anniversary of the Olympics Games in the German city, with daily live coverage across BBC One, Two, Red Button, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website