Jason Gardener upset the form book as he stormed to a surprise victory in the 100 metres at the Norwich Union Olympic Trials and AAA Championships in Manchester.

The 'Bath Bullet' made the most of a flying start as he pipped Darren Campbell, Mark Lewis-Francis and Christian Malcolm to win in 10.22 seconds.

Lewis-Francis went into the race as favourite having recorded the fastest time this year by a Briton but may have been hampered by the fact that he made a false start.

The field were away second time and Gardener followed up his world indoor 60m success earlier this season by surging to victory.

Campbell was second in 10.23secs and Lewis-Francis third in 10.24secs, and that trio now look like making up the British team for the Olympic Games in Athens next month.

"This is massive, the most important race of my life," said Gardener, whose season was disrupted by surgery on both his groins.

"It's a big turnaround for me and I am very pleased because it means everything to be going to the Olympics."

News came through that Campbell suffered a hip injury when he fell over after crossing the line and that made him a doubt for Sunday's 200m, in which he would be favourite for the title.

"It is sore now and getting worse by the second," said Campbell. "I'll have to see how I feel in the morning before I decide what to do but I don't expect any favours from anyone."

Meanwhile, Gardener said he hoped his best was yet to come and added: "It has been a difficult time. When I had my operation I was originally told it would be eight weeks but when I got to that stage I still hadn't got the kind of zip I need.

"Even now I reckon I am only 85-90 per cent, but I have tried to stay positive and I have taken my whole season one race at a time. We were running into a head wind and it was a soft track so I still believe I can compete in Athens."

Elsewhere on the track it was a little-known American who threatened to steal the show on a cold and wet day in the Manchester Regional Arena.

Californian 400m hopeful Malachi Davis only arrived in Britain on Friday after obtaining a UK passport and wasted no time in easing his way into Sunday's final, where a place in the first three will almost certainly earn him a controversial trip to Athens in a GB vest next month.

UK Athletics performance director Max Jones has said he has no problem with Davis - who has a London-born mother - running for his newly-adopted nation and with only Tim Benjamin and Daniel Caines qualifying quicker for the final, he looks set to claim a spot ahead of the other British hopefuls.

Abi Oyepitan stopped Joice Maduaka from completing a hat-trick of titles as she pipped her rival in the final of the women's 100m. Oyepitan clocked 11.54secs to Maduaka's 11.56secs.

There was no stopping local hero Lorraine Shaw, however, as she stormed to her seventh-successive hammer title with a championship record of 68.11m.

Shaw - who announced she intends to retire after the next Commonwealth Games in 2006 - confirmed her place on the plane to Athens and clearly loves performing on home territory, as these championships took place next door to the City of Manchester Stadium where she struck gold in the Commonwealths two years ago.

Chris Tomlinson won the long jump with a leap of 7.84m but still failed to make the qualifying mark. However, it is unlikely the Newham athlete will be left out of the Olympic team as he is capable of a medal-winning jump on his day.

Rob Newton is set to make the British Olympic team despite failing to make the qualifying standard in the 110m hurdles.

The Sale Harrier took the AAAs title in a time of 13.72secs, whereas the Olympic qualifying mark is 13.55secs. However, Newton's personal best is 13.36secs and the selectors are set to pick him on the strength of that.

Sydney bronze medallist Kelly Holmes qualified fastest for Sunday's 800m final, helping both Joanna Ross and Charlene Snellgrove post personal bests in the last heat of three.

Holmes will face stiffer competition from fellow heat winners Jo Fenn and Susan Scott when the medals are handed out in 24 hours' time in an event the 34-year-old still regards as her weaker one.

"My priority is the 1500m and I have to focus on that but who knows?" said Holmes, who has enjoyed the benefit of warm-weather training in Spain recently.

"I want to win a medal and I will do whatever I feel is best for that. My training has been going quite well in Madrid but these trials are an important part of my build-up.

"I want to win a medal and I will do whatever I feel is best for that."

Denise Lewis, who is using individual events at these championships in preparation for the defence of her heptathlon gold medal, failed to qualify for the 100m hurdles final after finishing third in her heat in 13.82secs.

"It felt a bit too comfortable, especially as it was my first race over hurdles this year," she said.

"The adrenalin has been flowing for a while. I am getting a bit nervous now. It is all about getting rid of the negatives and staying positive.

"I also know I will need a bit of luck because I missed the early season, so I have to hope I will be right for Athens. The Olympics are the biggest event globally and if you are not up and ready for them, you never will be. These are my third Games and also my last Olympics, so they will be special."

Lewis later found form in the javelin as she twice set a new personal best. Her opening throw was 51.42m, which was 29 centimetres further than she had thrown before, but she did even better when she threw 51.48m to boost her Olympic hopes.

In the field events, Michelle Griffith and Susan Jones both produced seasonal-best performances to win the triple jump and high jump respectively.

'Blackpool Tower' Carl Myerscough comfortably won the shot title with a put of 20.84m and was then pipped for the discus.

Emeka Udechuku of Woodford Green and Essex Ladies successfully defended his discus title with a season's best of 61.60m, after Myerscough had led throughout with an opening throw of 61.28m.

Myerscough is banned from going to the Olympic Games, having tested positive for a cocktail of illegal substances in 1999.

The day finished on a high note in the javelin for Goldie Sayers as she booked her place on the plane to Athens with a throw of 60.85m, which was 35 centimetres beyond the qualifying mark and a personal best.

"I couldn't have asked for anything more," said Sayers. "It's my birthday on Friday so I got exactly the present I wanted."

The other performance of note came in the heats of the 800m as Danny Crates of Thurrock, Essex, set a new arm amputee world record. Running in the able-bodied race he finished sixth but clocked 1:53.27.