DANNY Talbot gave the Great Britain selectors a timely nudge that he should be a first choice for the Olympics sprint relay team when he clocked a personal best in Swizterland on Tuesday night.

The Trowbridge Tornado clocked 20.52secs to win the 200m B race at the Spitzen meeting in Lucerne, shaving 0.07ses off his personal best, also set in Switzerland last year. It also lifts Talbot to fourth in the UK Rankings for 2012.

Interestingly Talbot’s time would have placed him fourth in the A race, won by Jamaican ace Jason Young in a blistering 19.86secs and crucially ahead of British rivals Marlon Devonish (20.66) and Christian Malcolm (20.80).

It was the second time in four days that Talbot has beaten Malcolm, who will be running the 200m in the Olympics having beaten Talbot in the trials. It also means Talbot has now run quicker this year than trials winner James Ellington, who will be one of his rivals for a place in the starting line-up for the GB relay team in London.

Talbot made an initial statement of intent at the Aviva London Grand Prix on Saturday, finishing fourth in a world class 200m field at Crystal Palace in a time of 20.59secs.

The race was frustrating in the sense that it showed just what might have been if Talbot hadn’t had his season interrupted by a hamstring and hip problem. It at least proved he is running into form at the right time and could be the man to run the third leg around the top bend when the relays get under way towards the end of the Olympics.

“I think Saturday’s race was probably the best I have ever run,” said Talbot. “I was in lane 8 with the European 100m champion Christophe Lemaitre (France) and the new 200m champion Churandy Martina (Holland) inside me.

“They both went off very quickly and soon went past me but I was focussed on my own race and I was not only pleased with my time but also delighted to beat Christian and James.”

Later that day Talbot turned out for the British relay B team and fared very well against Ellington, running for the A squad, on that vital third leg around the bend.

“I closed on James on that leg so hopefully that has helped me as well,” added Talbot.