Amber Anning clocks a championship record 50.16 to win the women's 400m, while Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson withdraws before the final and Matt Hudson-Smith takes the men's title in 44.45.

Amber Anning and Matt Hudson-Smith won the 400m titles in style, but Keely Hodgkinson's late withdrawal due to a tight hamstring dominated discussion at the Novuna UK Athletics Championships on Sunday (June 21).

The Olympic 800m champion did not want to take any chances with big two-lap races in Eugene, London and the European Championships itself in Birmingham on the horizon.

She seemed upset and tearful as she made the tough decision to scratch just moments before the race was due to be underway at the Alexander Stadium.

She said in a statement: “I wasn’t feeling 100% standing on the start line so I made the tough decision to step away and not race. I didn’t want to risk anything ahead of this summer.”

Hodgkinson would of course have struggled to have made the podium anyway in her secondary event. In her absence, UK record-holder Anning clocked a championship record of 50.16.

Anning said: "That was a tough race! The girls really pushed me actually, it wasn’t easy you have to fight to line, I’m glad I was able to get the job and it’s consistent, which is kind of what I have been running this year.

"So, I’m in good shape, I’ve got a couple things I need to work on but I’m happy with both the execution from the heat and final."

Yemi Mary John has enjoyed a brilliant season so far but couldn’t quite get on terms with Anning here as she ran 50.23 in second as Charlotte Henrich was third in a fine 50.58.

Hudson-Smith won the men’s race in 44.45 and would possibly have beaten Iwan Thomas’ long-standing championship record of 44.36 if he hadn’t eased down in the final metres.

Surprise package Ben Jeffries ran a big PB of 44.66 in second with Charlie Dobson finishing strongly with 44.69 in third.

"I missed last year due to the birth of my daughter, so it was good to come back and get my British Championships title back,” said Hudson-Smith. “I wanted to make a statement coming into Europeans, the Diamond Leagues, to show I am back. It has set me up well for the rest of the summer.”

Alastair Chalmers proved an emphatic winner of a dramatic men’s 400m hurdles in 49.05 and then celebrated with his new-born son on the track.

Josh Faulds (49.36) and Jake Minshull (49.38) won the minor medals with Seamus Derbyshire battling his way to fourth despite hitting hurdles and losing his balance during the first 150m.

Defending champion Tyri Donovan also fell as he came into the home straight and wasn’t able to finish as medics and fellow athletes went to check that he was okay.

After winning his sixth national title, Chalmers said: “We’ve just had a baby, so I haven’t trained all week. I was just getting the legs flushing through; I came through hurdle 10 and strolled through to the line. I am just excited, it is a big day for me, my first Father’s Day so I just wanted to take it all in.”

Emily Newnham stamped her ticket to the European Champs here in August with a big women’s 400m hurdles win. Clocking 54.50 she won by more than two seconds from Hayley McLean.

“It honestly feels like such a relief,” said Newnham. “I have ticked off one of the big goals for this year. British Champs bring a different type of pressure because it is the expectations you have on yourself but I am super grateful for doing European Under-23 Champs last year because that was a similar thing of wanting to win and believing in myself to do it, so I am glad to have had the experiences to help me in Championships like this one.”