FOUR Scottish records fell in the closing stages of the Railtrack national athletics championships yesterday at Scotstoun, but there was no return ticket for sprinter Dougie Walker.

A chest infection derailed the showpiece 200 metres showdown against his Scottish arch-rival Ian Mackie, but the Fife Olympian treated the Glasgow crowd to an impressive sprint double, the first by a Scot in these championships for 17 years. Both victories were gained with times inside next year's Commonwealth Games qualifying standard for Manchester.

European champion Walker, from Edinburgh, who has been on antibiotics, woke choked with infected mucus, and was disappointed to bow out. His coach, Davie Gibson, is hopeful, however, that he will be restored in time for Scotstoun next weekend, to guest in the match between Britain, Russia, and the USA.

George McCallum was the last Scot to achieve the championship 100/200m double. Mackie's 10.30 and 20.85 seconds (McCallum: 10.46 and 20.93) fueled his confidence. ''I see no reason why I cannot qualify for both events in the world championships,'' he said. The qualifying marks are 10.24 and 20.72. It was depressing, though, to see some titles and medals won with embarrassingly mediocre performances. Worst was the men's triple jump gold, which was collected with 13.46 metres,the poorest winning distance for 54 years.

Lee McConnell is no stranger to the top step of the podium, having been national high jump champion in each of the last three years. Fourth time up yesterday she broke new ground.

The Glasgow woman carved 0.32sec from the native record for 400m with a time of 52.41, which puts her firmly in contention for an individual place at the world event in Edmonton.

Sixteenth on the national all-time list at the distance at the start of the season, she is now up to fifth.

There is much more to come, possibly in Budapest, where she races on Saturday with several other Scots. ''I'm still doing lots of heavy training,'' she said. ''Originally I was looking for a place in the relay team for the Worlds, but I don't see why an individual place is not possible now.''

She took the championship record from Commonwealth silver medal winner Allison Curbishley, and the native mark from Olympic hurdler Sinead Dudgeon, who had the consolation of writing out a 23-year-old championship mark herself, in the one-lap hurdles, with her time of 57.1.

Chris Baillie was beaten in the 110m hurdles, but the man who did so was a guest, Damien Greaves, who recorded a fluent 13.70. Baillie, who had won for Britain the previous day against Spain, in Liverpool, took the title in 13.99, breaking his own native best, and was inside the standard required for the European Under-23 Championships this year.

Scotland has 1988 Olympic hockey gold medallist Richard Dodds to thank for the return of its champion hurdling force. Surgeon Dodds cured a troublesome hamstring problem which cost Charles Robertson-Adams 30 months. Yesterday, the Scottish record holder clocked 50.45, a meeting best, to win the 400m hurdles. This was just 0.02 outside his own Scottish record, and he towed his Perth training partner, Richard McDonald, to a native record of 51.07.

The native and under-20 records fell in the pole vault to Allison Murray-Jessee and Kirsty Maguire, and Scotland aquired another quality vaulter when it transpired that the mother of the winner, Gail Davies, was born on the Isle of Luing.

Darren Ritchie won the long jump for the fourth time in six years, but his winning distance was more than a metre short of his best, and he now fears for his career.

''I am in pain from the time I get up until I go to bed,'' revealed the 26-year-old Ritchie, who had pins inserted in both feet four years ago, to stabilise stress fractures. I am on anti-inflamatory medication every day. I do not know whether the pins are causing the problem, or whether I have another fracture.

''As soon as I jump further than last year - which I have to do to protect my lottery funding - I will cut my season short, and have my feet seen to. If I wait, I could miss next year's Commonwealth Games.''

The Borderer, who has thrice set Scottish records, is the country's most heavily supported Lottery athlete with #24,000 this year, but has yet to approach his national best of 7.88m, set last summer. His winning distance on Saturday, 6.88m, was the poorest since 1962. ''Of course I feel pressure given the level of help I've had,'' he said.

lGlen Stewart, who opted not to defend his 1500m title at Scotstoun, set a personal best for 5000m, 13:37.14, in finishing fifth behind Australian Craig Mottram at Solihull.