Christian Malcolm continued his Olympic preparations with a blistering season's best 200m time at yesterday's Norwich Union international at Birmingham's Alexandra Stadium.

The Newport star clocked 20.53sec in finishing third, beating fellow Brit Chris Lambert but coming behind Jamaica's Asafa Powell (20.28) and America's Joshua Johnson (20.50).

"I didn't feel too well all last week so I am pleased with how I ran," he said.

"I don't like to make excuses but I think I could have run even faster had I been 100 per cent so that is encouraging.

"Training has been going well and I've run a season's best time and you can't really ask for more that that.

"I've still got quite a bit of work to do and I'll go back to training and me and Jock (coach Jock Anderson) will take a look at where I go from here.

"I run one more race and then it is all about flying out to Cyprus and Athens and putting in the final preparations.

"But I'm happy, injury free and considering that I don't normally run that fast before major championships, the signs are encouraging."

Malcolm also ran the third leg of the 4x100m relay yesterday, Great Britain finishing second behind America. Another Welsh Olympic hopeful, Hayley Tullett, continued her fine form with third place in the women's 800m.

She had finished second in Paris on Friday in the 1,500m - the distance she will compete over in Athens - and said she was pleased to have produced another competitive performance.

She said: "I think I can go sub 45 and that will give me a good chance of getting to the Olympic final.

"I just struggle with the 800m on the initial pace and by the time I do catch them up they surge again.

"I'm out of position in the final stages and to be in the right position I need to be faster in the first 200m."

Cardiff's Tim Benjamin finished second in the 400m in a time of 46.34sec. Jamaican Michael Blackwood won in 46.08.

Benjamin felt tired after his struggle to guarantee Olympic selection. He said: "I'm pleased to get second and I beat both the Americans. Blackwood is among the best in the world and I finished just a metre and half behind.

"I was feeling very flat after the emotional comedown of winning the AAAs, but I'm pleased to have given a good performance.

"I think I can go sub 45 and that will give me a good chance of getting to the Olympic final."

Wales' Catherine Murphy, who has been selected for the Olympic relay team, finished fifth in the 400m.

Newport's Natalie Lewis was sixth in the 1,500m and Cardiff's James Thie was seventh in the men's race.