It is all about peaking at the right time, but there was little of a British hue last night to stop the global good from reclining on their chaises longues with feet up and egos freshly massaged. “That was rubbish,” Christine Ohuruogu said after her 400 metres victory at the Aviva London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace. At least she was not made to run the obstacle race.

Kelly Sotherton is always happy to tell it how it is and last night she was looking for an official to speak her mind. Britain’s great heptathlete hope for Beijing is competing in a four-event challenge over the two days of the meet and things were going well after a huge personal best of 6.79 metres in the long jump. Then came the 100 metres hurdles and those expecting poetry in motion were instead served up Pam Ayres on sedatives.

The race ended in farcical circumstances with a string of top-flight athletes hopping over the obstacles from near standing starts. The problem came because the third set of flights had been set up in the wrong position, so the athletes’ stride pattern was out.

That led to the bizarre sight of athletes charging at a flight of hurdles and suddenly realising they were going to career into them if they did not slam on the brakes. When it was rerun at the end of the night, Sotherton was fourth in 13.66sec.

“I am totally fed up,” Sotherton said as her fine-tuning for the Olympic Games blew up in her face. “The long jump went so well earlier on but someone made a mistake and they’ve ruined the hurdles, in fact they’ve ruined the whole event. I am angry.”

Jon Ridgeon, managing partner of Fast Track, the meeting promoters, said: “It was a genuine mistake. We confirmed that the athletes were happy to rerun the race and they were. We apologise for any difficulties.”

Meanwhile, Ohuruogu’s negativity was at least positive in that you would not want her to be happy with her time of 50.80sec. Sanya Richards, the American, has gone faster than that on eight occasions this year. However, Ohuruogu, by necessity of her ban, had done very little before going to last year’s World Championships and it was all right on the night. She will be hoping the same happens in Beijing.

Nicola Sanders also has cause for concern. Sanders always cuts a gossamer figure and looks like she should have a cotton-wool sponsorship deal, but she punched above her weight last year and was the silver medal-winner behind Ohuruogu. However, she was second in a tardy 51.27 last night, her slowest of the season and, having missed the trials through a thigh injury, is going to Beijing with ground to make up.

“There was lots of hanging around and I’m not very pleased,” she said. “It has been 3½ weeks since my last competition and I never really got into it.” Neither did most of the sprinters. The British were out in force, in terms of numbers anyway, but only Craig Pickering made it through to the final where he was last in the men’s 100 metres in 10.21.

While opinion remains split over Dwain Chambers’s Olympic ban, the undeniable truth is that he has looked in a different class to those who will be going to China.

So it was good that Phillips Idowu cemented his reputation as Britain’s best bet for Beijing, winning the triple jump with 17.42 metres. Elsewhere, Andy Baddeley has had a good enough season to be now ranked as a long shot for a medal in the 1,500 metres, and he came close to another morale-boosting triumph in the Emsley Carr Mile. With a bit more conviction on the final bend, he might have overhauled Shedrack Korir, but he did beat Bernard Lagat, the world champion at 1,500 metres and 5,000 metres, to ensure he can go to the Olympics eyeing the final.

In the women’s 1,500 metres, Lisa Dobriskey won with a fast finish, but Andy Turner, the hurdler, will have an epidural on Monday after suffering a hamstring injury. The hurdles, it seems, are cursed.

Idowu jumping for joy

Phillips Idowu said he felt bulletproof and invincible after winning the triple jump last night. The multi-pierced Idowu almost fell over with his first leap, but recovered well and was a decisive winner. “I feel regardless of whatever anyone else does I’m not going to lose,” he said. “I can’t envisage myself getting beaten.”

Idowu’s confidence has never been so high. His best jump was 17.42 metres, which is 16cm down on his best this season, but he is beginning to add consistency to his armoury. Nathan Douglas and Larry Achike completed an all-British top-three finish in the event.