ROBERT TOBIN gave himself a fighting chance of relay selection for the Olympics by finishing just outside the medals in yesterday's AAA 400 metres final in Manchester.

With many of Britain's former top guns, including Iwan Thomas, Jamie Baulch and Du'aine Ladejo, crashing out in the heats, the 20-year-old Southampton Uni student was fourth in the final.

His dip on the line moved him just ahead of controversial Californian Malachi Davis, who had been granted British citizenship less than 48 hours before the championship began thanks to his London-born mother.

Having broken his pb three times already this season, Tobin went faster still in the heats, finishing runner-up to Davis in 46.17s.

Drawn in the outside lane in the final, Tobin was well adrift coming off the final bend, but the Basingstoke & Mid Hants athlete ate up the ground down the home straight to finish in 46.47, behind winner Tim Benjamin's 45.58.

Tobin's training partner Melanie Purkiss is also in with a shout of 4x400m relay selection for Athens after finishing fifth in yesterday's final in 53.42 seconds. The Otterbourne-based Team Solent runner had gone faster in Saturday's heats, coming third in 53.06.

The Isle of Wight's Kelly Sotherton, already selected for Athens in the heptathlon, faces a struggle to double up in the long jump. Her eagerly-awaited head-to-head with British no 1 Jade Johnson saw Sotherton beaten into second place with a first round leap of 6.61. Johnson won it with an Olympic qualifying effort of 6.72.

Kelly Morgan, the British javelin record holder from Salisbury, marked her return from shoulder injury problems with a silver medal-winning throw of 58.98, behind Goldie Sayers' 60.85. The Isle of Wight's Andy Frost also struck silver in the men's hammer with 69.94.

Two Southampton-coached athletes collected 400m hurdles bronze medals - Bournemouth's Sian Scott clocking 59.97 in the women's event and Bedford's Robert Lewis posting 51.39 for the men.

Team Solent's Angus Maclean led at the bell in the men's 1500m final, but faded to tenth in 3.56.58.

Portsmouth's Commonwealth Games 1500m champion Michael East finished out of the medals in the men's 800m.