Dina Asher-Smith wins 200m gold at World Athletics Championships

Asher-Smith romps to a stunning win the women’s 200m final

2019 World Athletics Championships
Venue: Khalifa International Stadium, Doha Dates: 27 September-6 October
Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website and app; Listen live on BBC Radio 5 Live; Live streams, clips and text commentary online.

Dina-Asher Smith became the first British woman to win a major global sprint title as she stormed to victory in 200m at the World Championships.

The 23-year-old, who won silver in the 100m, was the outstanding favourite and outclassed the field to take gold in a British record of 21.88 seconds.

“I’m lost for words. I dreamed of this and now it’s real,” she told BBC Sport. “I don’t think it’s properly sunk in.”

Brittany Brown took silver (22.22) and Swiss Mujinga Kambundji bronze (22.51).

Asher-Smith is also the first Briton to win a world or Olympic sprint title since Linford Christie at Stuttgart 1993.

“I woke up today thinking, ‘This is it. This is the moment you did all your work for’. The tiredness disappeared,” she added.

“[My coach] John [Blackie] and I knew I could do it, it means so much.”

There was no light show as seen in some other showpiece finals here in Doha, but instead a loud cheer greeted Asher-Smith as she smiled on her way to her starting blocks.

The race itself was formality. Asher-Smith came off the bend with her nose in front before powering away from the rest of the pack in the final 60m.

Like on the celebration lap following the women’s 100m final there were rows of empty seats in the Khalifa Stadium, but Asher-Smith – who paraded the flag after winning silver on Sunday – enjoyed her victory with a large British contingent in one corner.

Many had already placed the gold medal around the European champion’s neck after the pre-event withdrawal of 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce followed by that of fellow Jamaican and Olympic champion Elaine Thompson. And before the championships Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller-Uibo, unbeaten in the 200m this season, opted only to run in the 400m because of the tight scheduling.

But bar the Bahamian, Asher-Smith had got the better of her other rivals during the Diamond League season. The lack of competition simply made the task easier for the Kent athlete.

It has been a six-year period for the Briton between winning the European youth 200m title in 2013 to becoming the senior world champion in the Doha event.

By her side since the age of eight has been coach John Blackie, who had spotted her potential at the Blackheath and Bromley Athletics Club.

Their partnership has produced titles at European and now global level.

More to follow.