DESPITE suffering the bitter blow of missing a 200m world championship medal by just two-hundredths of a second, tributes to Christian Malcolm poured in from the world's top athletes - none more so than from pal Dwain Chambers.

On a night of high tension at Edmonton, Malcolm lost the men's 200m final, won by Greek Konstadinos Kederis, in the time it takes to blink - it could not have been closer.

Kederis crossed the line in 20.04secs, but it took an eternity to separate the blanket of sprinters behind him.

After a lengthy delay, Jamaica's Chris Williams was handed silver with 20.20secs, while Kim Collins and Shawn Crawford shared bronze both with 20.20secs - the same time as Williams and only separated by computer analysis.

That left the Maindee sprinter in fifth with 20.22secs and out of the medals - it was that close.

As Malcolm's lonely figure trudged across the athlete's warm up track at the Commonwealth Stadium, Olympic and world 100m champion Maurice Greene paid tribute to the talented 22-year-old and said: "He will learn from this disappointment and come back stronger, he's got a lot more to offer."

Similarly former British Olympic champion sprinter Linford Christie commiserated with Malcolm's disappointed coach Jock Anderson, while Olympic silver medallist Frankie Fredericks added there are plenty more championship performances to come from Malcolm.

Best friend and fellow British sprinter Dwain Chambers said although he was "gutted for him", the Newport sprinter will bounce back.

He said: "I'm really gutted for him, we are the best of buddies, everyone calls us brothers, but the camaraderie in the team of being there for one another will help him and he'll bounce back.

"We both spur each other on, I do well then he does well, the confidence and the camaraderie go together, we are always there for each other and that's the community we have amongst British sprinters at the moment.

"It was there for him to win, but when you think it's there that's when you try too hard, which is why I hate finals, but it's cool, he'll be upset, but he'll be alright for the sprint relays."

Malcolm refused to speak after the final, but who can blame him.

In running eight races, he has set four personal bests in reaching both the 100m and the 200m men's final and was a genuine medal prospect for Britain.

His coach Jock Anderson said running in both the 100m and 200m sprints had not been too much, with an adequate amount of recovery time between each heat.

His comments were reflected by the British team's performance director Max Jones who said: "Christian should have had a medal.

"The Greek Kederis was superb, but Christian was certainly good enough for silver and he is bitterly disappointed because he didn't run like he can run, he didn't do himself justice."

Both Anderson and Jones expect Malcolm to bounce back and "put his anger and frustration" into the relays.

Jones warned: "The other teams better watch out."

* In the picture: Newport's Christian Malcolm (left) coming in fifth in an incredibly close 200m final at Edmonton, won by Greece's Konstadinos Kederis (right).