Athletics: Child shines in Diamond performance at Crystal Palace

While many of her Great Britain team-mates from the recent European Championships in Barcelona were complaining of the weather or fatigue, Eilidh Child (Pitreavie) took advantage of the Diamond League meeting at London's Crystal Palace to break the Scottish 400 metres hurdles record for the second time this season.

Her time of 55.16 secs in third place clipped 0.01 sec off the record she set earlier this season and was only 0.05 behind Czech hurdler Zuzana Hejnova in runners-up spot. The winner was Kaliese Spence of Jamaica, who leads the Commonwealth rankings with 53.48, and who will clearly be the gold medal favourite for Delhi in October.

But Child is fifth in the rankings and, if she can dip below 55 seconds come October, must have a great chance of a medal.

"I was really, really chuffed with that - I was so disappointed with my run in Barcelona that I wanted to prove to people what I could do," said Child.

Her close English rival Perri Shakes Drayton, who is second in the rankings with 54.18, opted for the flat 400 at the Palace and trimmed her best to 51.48.

Aldershot-based Steph Twell, who is ranked even higher in the Commonwealth than Child - she is third in the 1500 metres - is expected to confirm her participation for Scotland in Delhi but would be disappointed by her performance in finishing only 13th in a time of over 12 seconds outside her recent personal best of 4:02.70.

Edinburgh's Freya Murray, 14th in the 5000 metres in 15:46.03, was also slower than she would have liked but is unlikely to worry too much given that the Games are still several weeks away.