OXFORD City’s David Gain admitted it was a surprise to win 200m bronze at the British Athletics European Trials & UK Championships in Sheffield.

But the 22-year-old sprinter is now hoping that his indoor success will spur him to faster times this summer.

Gain finished fourth in the final at Sheffield in 21.62secs and looked as if he had missed out on a medal by 0.02 of a second, but Nathan Selby’s disqualification promoted him to bronze.

“It was a bit of a surprise,” said Gain. “I only really started doing the indoor season just for something to keep me going until the outdoor one.

“I had not run a 200m indoors since 2008 when I got a bad lane draw with the banking and that put me off.”

Gain set his outdoor personal best of 21.39 last season, but has already managed 21.45 this year indoors, where the tighter bends make fast times harder.

He is not planning any more indoor races this winter, instead focusing on training for the outdoor season, which will include a trip to Portugal at the end of March.

“My aim is to go under 21 seconds for the 200m,” said Gain. “I was 0.4 seconds off it last season.”

To help his training, Gain has now gone to a four-day week at BDS in Haddenham, where he is a metalwork engineer.

Asked about his potential, he said: “My times have been coming down steadily over the last few years.

“Last year was the first year that I had done the warm weather training in Portugal and that made a real difference.”

Radley’s Carolyn Plateau was pleased to clock a personal best of 2mins 6.19secs in finishing fifth in the 800m final.

She said: “It was great to be here competing with the best girls in the UK. I am delighted to make the final and to run a pb.”

Running in the last heat, Plateau hung on the coat-tails of Olympian Marilyn Okoro to finish third in 2.08.13 – a time which would have won two of the four heats – to gain a place in the final.

Radley’s Ashley Johnson ran a best of 8.18secs before coming third in the 60m hurdles B final.

“It went well. I was pleased to run a pb despite messing up the first hurdle,” he said.