SPRINTER Robert Tobin put himself in contention for a place in the British team at the Athens Olympics when he lowered his best 400 metres time for the third time this season on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Basingstoke and Mid-Hants star clipped another tenth of a second off his previous best time as he blitzed into last night's final at the Olympic trials in Manchester.

Tobin was beaten only by American-born Malachi Davis, who acquired a British passport just three days before.

Davis won in 46.10sec and Tobin was second in 46.17.

International Jamie Baulch could finish only third in 47.21 and missed the A-final. Instead, the Cardiff runner was relegated to the B-final, along with fellow international Du'aine Ladejo of Birchfield Harriers.

Tobin was the quickest of the fastest losing qualifiers.

Tim Benjamin started the final as favourite to follow up his European Cup victory in Poland last month with one of the individual slots for Athens next month.

The Belgrave Harrier won his heat in 45.70sec to join Davis and Tobin in the A-final.

The other six finalists were heat winners Daniel Caines (Birchfield) and Sean Baldock (Belgrave) and fastest losers Graham Hedman (Woodford and Essex), Jared Deacon (South Shields) and Conrad Williams (Kent).

Tobin then gained his revenge in the final where he beat Davis to fourth place, both being given a time of 46.47sec.

The race was won by 22-year-old Benjamin in 45.88, ahead of Caines (45.88) and Baldock (46.24) Tobin beat Williams recently to win the national under-23 title at Bedford.

Tobin clocked a new championship record, lifetime best and club record 46.27 that day to win gold.

The time overhauled his previous best of 46.71sec, set at the Oxford meeting to mark the 50th anniversary of Roger Bannister's first sub-four-minute mile.

Tobin's elder sister, Helena Tobin, failed to reach the finals of the women's 800m at the Manchester Regional Arena.

Her preparations were hampered by a foot injury, which prevented her taking her place in the South of England championship final earlier this season.

Helena failed to match her PB of 2min 6.41sec and finished sixth in 2:11.40. Her heat was won by Olympic star Kelly Holmes in 2:1.62.

Other Basingstoke athletes who failed to reach finals at the weekend Olympics trials were Steve Turvill and Rob Whittle.

Turvill was seventh in his 800m heat in 1:53.38, which was more than three seconds slower than his best. His heat was won by Rick Soos of Mansfield in 1:47.90.

Whittle was 10th in his 1,500m heat in 3:50.65. He too was several seconds below his best in a heat won by Sale Harrier Tony Whiteman in 3:45.77.

Javelin thrower Katy Watts, who now competes for Team Solent, was unable to repeat her medal-winning form of last year's AAA national championships. She finished seventh.