Malcolm's double win

Christian Malcolm effectively laid claim to a European Cup place at 200 metres last night with a sprint double in the IAAF Helsinki grand prix meeting.

The 22-year-old Welshman defied the cold conditions and a soaking wet track in the stadium which hosted the 1952 Olympics, winning the 100 metres in 10.17sec before going on to victory in the 200 metres in 20.40.

Although his fellow Briton Marlon Devonish ran the same time at a meeting in Poznan last week, Malcolm, who was fifth in the Olympic 200m final and won a world indoor silver earlier this year, looks certain to get the nod.

The selectors' job was made easier by the announcement the day before that Darren Campbell, the Olympic 200m silver medallist, would be unable to race in what was billed as a run-off against Malcolm in the Finnish capital because of hamstring trouble. Campbell, however, will captain the British European Cup team in Bremen on 23-24 June and is included in the sprint relay squad.

Malcolm, who is targeting a medal at the World Championships in Edmonton in August, said afterwards that he had made a low-key start to his season. "It's still early days and my coach has again showed the importance of holding me back," he said. "I'm well happy with that. I didn't expect to run so fast in either race as it was slippery out there. I might not get picked for the European Cup team as Marlon has run the same time. But I have planned my races this year totally with the World Championships in mind."

Britain's Olympic triple jump champion, Jonathan Edwards, found the conditions harder to deal with than Malcolm as he went down to an unexpected defeat at the hands of a former high jumper, Christian Ohlsson.

The 21-year-old Swede, who won the European junior title two years ago, cleared a relatively modest 17.08m, but that was six centimetres further than Edwards, who had set a world leading mark of 17.56m eight days earlier in Milan, could manage on the night.

"I felt a cramp in my right side during my warm-up and it was very painful when I was competing," Edwards said. "At 35, this is the sort of weather I do not need to be jumping in."

Larry Achike and Phillips Idowu, either of whom could be called into the European Cup team should Edwards drop out, managed 16.97 and 16.41, respectively.

Iwan Thomas, rehabilitating after two years' absence with injury, finished third in the 400 metres in 46.53sec behind South Africa's Hendrik Mokganyyetski, who won in 46.03.

The Commonwealth 110m hurdles champion, Tony Jarrett, clinched his European Cup place following Colin Jackson's decision not to accept his invitation, finishing second in 13.45.