SILVER BULLET
Asher-Smith makes history in a near-empty stadium
DINA ASHER-SMITH powered her way into the history books last night – but there was fury that almost nobody was there to see it.
The triple European champion lived up to her star billing by becoming the first British woman to win a global medal in the 100m for 59 years.
But while Asher-Smith’s silver-medal run was broadcast live to an armchair audience back home, the almost total absence of fans at the Khalifa International Stadium left a track legend raging.
Olympic gold medalist Denise Lewis said: “Our governing body has let our athletes down, massively.”
Her anger contrasted with the joy of Asher-Smith, 23, in taking second place behind Jamaican Shelly-Ann FraserPryce, who won her fourth world title at the age of 32 in a time of 10.71secs.
Asher-Smith, champion over the distance across the Diamond League season, broke her own British record to stop the clock on 10.83 and finish ahead of Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou, with Olympic champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica out of the medals in fourth.
Britain had not won a women’s world sprint medal since Kathy Smallwood-Cook’s 200m bronze in 1983.
Asher-Smith also claimed her country’s first podium finish in the 100m since the shock Olympic silver won by Yorkshire teenager Dorothy Hyman in Rome in 1960.
Such an achievement from the sprinter deserved a far greater audience than row after row of empty seats in a 40,000-seater stadium, hosting a Championships pushed into October by the extreme Arabian heat. It meant the Briton spent much of her lap of honour looking for fans to acclaim her achievement.
Lewis said: “I walked into the stadium tonight and looked around and said, “Is this the World Championships?’
“We waited until October to have stands like this – empty. It’s shocking. I didn’t expect it to be this bad.
“We want to see people. The athletes deserve people, an energy and an atmosphere to thrive on.”
BBC commentator Steve Cram agreed and said: “This must be the least amount of people I’ve ever seen at a major championship. That’s the sad thing.”
Asher-Smith has no time to contemplate such matters as she is back on the start line today to begin qualifying for the 200m.
There is the potential for further 200m spoils in the men’s event, where Adam Gemili qualified fastest for the semi-finals in 20.06.
American Noah Lyles remains hot favourite while compatriot Christian Coleman, newly-crowned champion in the 100m, has withdrawn.