ROBERT Tobin sliced .08 seconds from a junior Championship record which had stood for 20 years after powering through a torrential downpour.

The Basingstoke and Mid-Hants runner more than justified his selection for next month's Commonwealth Games trials during his winning performance at the South of England Junior Championships at Watford last Sunday.

In one of the final races of the day, the 18-year-old star won the under-20 400 metres title after qualifying in a joint-fastest time of 49.2sec in Saturday's heats.

The final, run in terrible conditions, was a championship record 46.91sec, beating the 20-year-old previous best by .08sec.

Tobin's winning time bettered the qualifying standard for the World Junior Championship and was the only runner to do so during the two-day competition.

Tobin's clubmate Jonathan Hiorns gained a bronze for a gutsy performance in the under-17 400m, setting a new personal best of 51.08sec, a qualifying time for the English Schools Championships.

Lisa Mullholland was unlucky not to get a medal after jumping a personal best in the under-17 triple-jump final to gain fourth place.

Two 21-year-old Basingstoke throwers who have also been selected for the Commonwealth Games trials. Katy Watts and Joan MacPherson, competed for Hampshire in the Inter-Counties Championships at Bedford.

Watts threw the javelin 46.03 metres for fourth place while MacPherson's performances were well down because of a niggling back injury.

She recorded 36.66m in the discus and 11.97m in the shot.