Oxford City star Nathan Douglas struck gold in the triple jump at the Norwich Union AAA Under 23 Championship at Bedford - and smashed the championship record in the process.

Nathan DouglasDouglas, 20, triumphed with 16.30m, breaking the record set by last year's champion, Tofin Oke, who posted 16.28m.

It bettered his own previous best for the triple jump by 29cms.

It also makes him the top under 23 triple jumper in Great Britain and qualifies him for the World University Games in South Korea in August.

Two of Douglas's main rivals were not at Bedford, but that did not lessen his determination.

He said: "The plan, with me and my coach, was that we would ease into it, so with my first jump I just wanted to get in and I registered 15.85.

"I sped up for my second jump and my third was very long, but it was a no jump.

"I jumped 16.12 with my fourth attempt and 16.30 with my fifth. Then I stopped because my hamstring was starting to feel a bit tight."

Douglas has just graduated from Loughborough College with a Higher National Diploma in Sports Science, and was named student of the year. He is planning to do a top-up year at Loughborough.

Radley's Natalie Plateau and Rachel Brenton were also taking part at Bedford, and Plateau, in particular, was delighted by her performance.

She came second in her heat of the 400m in 56.29, which was a pb. And she bettered that time with 55.91 in coming seventh in the final.

Brenton took fifth place in the triple jump with 11.78m - she has done 12.05 - and came fourth in the long jump with 5.51m.