Eilish McColgan retained her 3000 metres steeplechase title at the British Championships in Birmingham yesterday, the last of six Scottish victors over a weekend that should pose a number of interesting dilemmas when the UK Athletics selectors sit down this lunchtime to finalise their team for next month's world championships.

McColgan, with the win and the primary qualifying standard, is assured a ticket to Moscow. However, the 22-year-old revealed that her performance had been against medical advice. A combination of calf and shin issues came to light following the June 6 Diamond League meet in Rome and, after scans and tests, she was told to curtail her entire season.

Having missed Daegu two years ago with a broken foot, it provided a quandary: to accept their verdict, or not? "They're not wrong," said McColgan. "I just couldn't have sat at home and asked: 'What if I ran?' I knew I wanted to race today, and it's been my plan the whole time. I've been cross-training in the gym, and I've not done any running. I'm running twice a week at the moment, just to try and get myself to the world champs. Things are improving every single week."

There were no signs of damage as she dominated the field to top an all-Scottish podium ahead of Emily Stewart and Lennie Waite. McColgan will now seek how to best prepare for her next big test. "I'm hoping another four weeks to the worlds and I'll be in the best shape of my life."

If she needs reassurance, then Steph Twell would be a willing source. Having missed the Olympics to undergo ankle surgery, the Commonwealth bronze medallist made her case for a summons to the worlds with her first UK title at 5000m after pulling away from another Scot, Laura Whittle.

Like Chris O'Hare, who won the 1500m on Saturday, Twell has only the B mark for Moscow, ensuring she will be a cause for debate when performance director Neil Black and his staff convene. A call-up, she acknowledged, would be reward for the many hours of rehabilitation undertaken merely to get her back on track. But it could also elicit one more push to rediscover her finest form.

"I thrive best in international competition," she said. "I saw in Paris last week how much I raise my game at championships and competitions like that. I want to be there to learn the 5000m. I want to mix it up again, because those qualifying rounds are what I am used to in the 1500, with the tactics. It would be a great pleasure to go."

The other three Scots who took gold – Andy Frost (hammer), Emma Nuttall (high jump) and Andrew Lemoncello (10,000m) – will have to settle for domestic supremacy with Russia out of reach. Eilidh Child will be Moscow-bound but, once again, had to settle for silver in the 400m hurdles behind Perri Shakes-Drayton.

The European indoor silver medallist was less than impressed with her own performance. "Just messy," she declared, despite abandoning an experiment to reduce the number of strides she takes. Shakes-Drayton, hitting the last hurdle, was little better but her supremacy in their private duel continues.

"I think if I was to beat her [once], I'd [then] beat her more often," Child added. "It's almost like the barrier with the times. Once you beat 55 seconds, 54 seconds becomes a lot easier. If I beat her once, I like to think I'll be able to keep doing it. I'd like to say it's not psychological. I'm really trying to focus on my own race. But I don't know."

Of the 14 Scottish medals from the weekend, Kirsty Law collected a silver in the discus, while there were bronzes for Kirsty Yates (shot putt), Susan McKelvie (hammer) and, finally, David Smith in the high jump. And there were positive signs to be taken from James Dasaolu's run of 9.91 seconds in the 100 metres. The Londoner is now, with Tyson Gay's withdrawal, third in the global rankings.

World silver medallist of 2011 Hannah England survived a bruising 1500m final in which Lisa Dobriskey and Laura Weightman's hopes were cut short by mid-race falls. "I wanted to beat the others fair and square so I am disappointed I didn't get to do that," England said.