"HOW good are our local athletes?" we asked Telegraph readers three weeks ago on our online forum.

Last weekend the athletes made a most eloquent reply by capturing five medals, including gold for Chris Hart, at the Norwich Union England Under-23 and Under-20 Championships.

The competition at Bedford drew the best the country has to offer as it was also the Great Britain and Northern Ireland European Trials, with places in the European U23 Championships, and the European Junior (U20) Championships at stake.

Some of the younger (U18) contenders were also chasing selection for the IAAF World Youth Championships, and following their medal-winning performances over the weekend, Alison Leonard (pictured) and Sophie Hitchon were named in that team.

They will compete at Ostrava in the Czech Republic from July 11 to 15.

In his first competition of the season, Hart had won the British Universities 3,000 metres steeplechase title on the same track, but in the under-23 race, the Blackburn Harrier had a fierce thunderstorm to contend with before beating BUSA runner-up Stephen Lisgo once again.

Given the conditions, it was no surprise that his time of 9:06.25 was well outside the Euro U23s qualifying standard of 8:40, so the student at St Mary's, Twickenham, will be chasing the time at Watford on Saturday.

The programme was suspended briefly during the storms on Saturday afternoon, but when play resumed Pendle's Laura Finucane picked up the silver medal in the women's U23 800m.

Laura is ranked second in Europe after setting 2:01.35 in Prague a week earlier, but finished a mere 0.22 seconds behind Charlotte Best of Crawley AC. Again times were predictably slower, with Laura clocking 2:05.24.

East Lancashire was represented in the women's U20s 800m with the Chorley-based Alison Leonard who represents Blackburn Harriers.

In a quality race, both Emma Jackson, of Stoke, and Crawley's Hannah Brooks dipped under the 2:06 Euro Junior Standard, while Alison won bronze in 2:06:08.

Although she has posted the required standard, with 2:04.86 earlier in the year, Leonard is ranked third in the world in the U18s and has consequently been chosen for the World Junior Championships instead.

Sophie Hitchon continued her most remarkable season with a silver medal in the U20 hammer. The 15-year-old is four years younger than some of her rivals, yet she missed the gold medal by only 21 centimetres, throwing 52.18m, compared to the 52.39m achieved by Nuneaton's Hayley Murray.

The UK U17s record holder will now join Leonard in the Czech Republic. Sophie and Pendle club mate Ben Lindsay became North of England Champions a week before, and Ben also maintained his fine form with bronze in the U20s 5000m.

With a better standard of competition, he reduced his time by more than half a minute to 15:01.34 and was within seven seconds of winner Lee Carey from Nuneaton.

There was a welcome return to competition for Paul Bradshaw, of Blackburn Harriers, who made the final in the U20s 800m only weeks after suffering a hamstring injury.

Paul clocked 1:51.56 for sixth, while club mate Tom Cornthwaite took 13th in the U23s 5000m in 14:48.64.

In-form Robbie Schofield was in Bradshaw's heat of the 800m, and although he didn't make the final, the Ribble Valley athlete set a personal best of 1:54.51.