"I HATE losing, I'm gutted," said a disappointed Christian Malcolm, pictured right, after finishing last in the men's 200m Commonwealth Games final as Newport-based Darren Campbell, left, took bronze.

Gwent's two Sydney 2000 Olympic 200m finalists had a contrasting time at the City of Manchester Stadium last night as England's Campbell ran a season's best 20.21 secs behind fellow countryman Marlon Devonish and winner Frankie Fredericks, who won in a time of 20.06 secs.

But Malcolm, the World and European indoor silver medalist, clocked 20.39 secs and can take some satisfaction from having reached his third major final in three seasons, adding the Commonwealth final to his Olympic and World appearances.

It has not been an easy season for Malcolm, having torn his hamstring in Vienna last March and struggled with injury, he ran a season's best 20.29 secs for the 200m at the AAA Championships in Birmingham, but at 23, Malcolm has the talent and time to recapture the form that took him to just

two hundredths of a second away from a World Championship silver medal last summer. He said: "I gave all I had it just wasn't good enough, I tried to come hard off the bend, but it was all I could do to hang in there, so I'm gutted.

"I know I have missed out on a lot of work this season, but I have got the European Championships next week.

"I like to think of myself as a Championship performer, as I can deliver when it counts, I just hope I can do that in Munich."

Meanwhile, having spent virtually all of his time since Sydney 2000 suffering with injury, Campbell stormed back in style and blasted TV pundit John Regis for having criticised him recently.

He said: "I'm so delighted, for all those doubters out there, especially John Regis, this is what a real champion is, you can't always be winning gold medals, but it's about coming back from adversity and showing people that you are stronger and tougher than that."