This summer’s Microplus UK Athletics Championships lived up to its billing as it produced scintillating track and field action as athletes battled for places at the Olympic Games in Paris, with several athletes competing to prepare for the Paralympic Games.

New stars broke out in the shape of 17-year-old Phoebe Gill (Deborah Steer, St Albans) and sprint sensation Louie Hinchliffe (Richard Kilty, Sheffield and Dearne). Both confidently sealed their first UK titles in the entertaining style and book their spots in Paris later in the summer.

Gill, who had caused ripples around the athletics world with her 1.57.86 in May – which had broken a 45-year-old U18 European Record – got the better of world indoor medallist Jemma Reekie (Jon Bigg, Kilbarchan) to become the youngest UK women’s 800m champion in history.

In a similar vein – albeit at the then age of 21 – Hinchliffe had burst onto the scene earlier in the year when he became the first European athlete to win the NCAAs 100m title. With his then coach, Carl Lewis, the Sheffield-born athlete quickly rose in popularity, and his 10.18 clocking in Manchester saw him pip Jeremiah Azu (Marco Airale, Cardiff) to take his first UK title.

Another outstanding contest over the weekend saw Georgia Bell (Trevor Painter, Belgrave) continue her fine return to the sport with a hugely eye-catching victory over 2020 Olympic medallist Laura Muir (Dundee Hawkhill) in the women’s 1500m. In one of the most loaded fields of the Championships, both athletes booked their seats to Paris as the 1-2 finishers after a close-run battle.

In other exciting middle-distance races, Neil Gourley (Ben Thomas, Giffnock North) and Ben Pattison (Dave Ragan, Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC) won the men’s 1500m and 800m respectively.

The Manchester crowds were wowed by blistering performances from Dina Asher-Smith (Edrick Floreal, Blackheath & Bromley) and Daryll Neita (Marco Airale, Cambridge Harriers) – the respective 200m and 100m UK champions across the two days of action.

There was a sign of things to come one month later as the soon-to-be Olympic 400m silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith (Gary Evans, Birchfield Harriers) continued his fine-tuning for Paris 2024 with a stunning victory over 200m at the Manchester Regional Arena.

In the field, the newly crowned British record holder Molly Caudery (Scott Simpson, Thames Valley) impressed the spectators in the pole vault, winning the title to back up an exceptional run of form which had seen her win world indoor gold in March. She went close to her 4.92m record on the day – an unsuccessful three attempts at 4.93m – but ultimately, she bowed out at 4.83m.

Another field eventer to shine was Morgan Lake (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) who ensured she headed to her third Olympic Games as she reigned supreme in the women’s high jump to take an eighth-consecutive British title outdoors.

Back on the track in the one-lap sprint, a few months ahead of her taking down Christine Ohuruogu’s women’s 400m British record, Amber Anning (Chris Johnson, Brighton & Hove) lived up to her pre-event favourite tag by producing a championship record of 50.47 in the women’s 400m final. She was challenged all the way by the in-form Laviai Nielsen (Tony Lester, Enfield & Haringey) who clocked 50.92 in what was one of the highest quality events of the entire programme.

In the men’s equivalent, fresh from European silver just a few weeks earlier, Charlie Dobson (Leon Baptiste, Colchester) delivered another sparkling performance as he took British 400m gold.

Lina Nielsen (Tony Lester, Shaftesbury Barnet) and Jessie Knight (Marina Armstrong, Shaftesbury Barnet) would both book their Olympic berths with solid displays in the women’s 400m hurdles, Nielsen took the title ahead of the now-retired, Knight. Alastair Chalmers (Matt Elias, Guernsey) won the men’s 400m hurdles to take him to Paris.

Similarly, Lizzie Bird (Shaftesbury Barnet) [women’s 3000m steeplechase], Cindy Sember (Chris Johnson, Woodford Green Essex Ladies) [women’s 100m hurdles] and Nick Percy (Zane Duquemin, Shaftesbury Barnet) [men’s discus] were all successful in their quest to guarantee their Olympic places after fine performances on the track and in the field, despite the worst of the weather coming during the Saturday afternoon.

The women’s 100m para title went the way of Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste, Charnwood), who triumphed in 13.07 (-2.1), while Zac Shaw (Leon Baptiste, Cleethorpes) won the men’s 100m para title in 11.21 (-2.6).

A few months ahead of her five medals from the Paralympic Games, Sammi Kinghorn (Rodger Harkins, Red Star) showed her quality by winning the women’s wheelchair 400m.

Continuing his exceptional run at UK Championships, Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson, City of York) made it a perfect 10 UK outdoor titles as he claimed men’s shot put gold, another notable moment across the weekend’s action.

In record-breaking form, Callum Wilkinson (Rob Heffernan, Enfield & Haringey) stole the show over the longer race walk distance (10,000m), scorching to a time of 38:43.91, taking a huge 22 seconds off his own British record to set a huge new personal best.