Coach Tony Hadley has praised the 'breathtaking' performance of Birchfield Harrier Jordan McGrath following the 18-year-old's massive personal best at the Loughborough International last weekend.

Solihull-based McGrath, a relative athletics novice of just two years experience, finished second behind Martyn Rooney in a time of 46.54 seconds and in doing so not only set the fastest time of his life, took half a second of his previous record and attained the qualifying time for this summer's World Junior Championships.

He will now head to the trials in Bedford next month without the pressure of having to run a specific time and able to concentrate on finishing in the first two -he is currently ranked top among Under 20s and fifth in the country among senior athletes.

Hadley, the man who made international stars of Du'aine Ladejo and Derek Redmond, was certainly impressed with his protege's efforts on Sunday. "It wasn't a surprise to me - there's more to come," he said. "He raced three weeks ago and ran 47.3 when the wind was blowing and not conducive.

"This was only his second race of the season and wasn't even a particularly great day. Loughborough isn't traditionally a fast track but Jordan ran really well. I said to him beforehand to expect Rooney to go sailing past -which he did after 70 metres, and the temptation would have been to have run tense. But he stayed relaxed, did not panic and did not attack too early.

"His strength is the second half of the race and his last 50 or 60 metres were breath-taking."

Assuming he produces at the trials McGrath, who finished fourth in his first ever global games last year - the World Youth Championships, will head to Poland in July with agenuine medal chance.

There was also a bright performance from another of Hadley's group, Ross Macdonald who surpassed his own PB in an invitational 400m. Rooney was most impressive, however.

By winning in 45.46secs the Londoner was just a fifth of a second outside his PB and identified himself as a potential finalist at the Beijing Olympics.

Of the other Harriers on show Brad Yiend came second in the 400m hurdles and Dan Cossins finished runner up over 200m although Zoe Derham experienced a disappointing afternoon by throwing just 64.81m in the hammer. Jonathan Moore won the long jump.

Heptathlete Jessica Ennis won the sprint hurdles, ahead of Birmingham-based Sara McGreavy, the long jump and -ominously for GB rival Kelly Sotherton, broke her personal best in the javelin.