The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Sprint double for British athletes at Europeans
Hughes follows Asher-Smith’s record run to claim 100m gold as Great Britain dominate
History makers Zharnel Hughes and Dina Asher-Smith powered to European Championships gold as they claimed the 100m titles to ignite Great Britain’s athletics campaign in Berlin.
Hughes was favourite to take the crown along with Asher-Smith as the pair dominated the field at the Olmypic Stadium yesterday.
Only James Dasaolu, in 2014, has won the 100m for Britain since Darren Campbell’s 1998 triumph while AsherSmith became the first British woman to win the 100m title since Dorothy Hyman 56 years ago.
Reece Prescod was second in 9.96 seconds, his first sub-10 run, as Turkey’s Ali Harvey denied Britain a 1-2-3 as CJ Ujah came fourth.
Asher-Smith was just one hundredth of a second outside of her own record when she clocked 10.93secs in the semifinal and smashed through it in the final with a British record time of 10.85.
There was double delight for Scotland on day two as Lynsey Sharp and Kirsten McAslan both progressed comfortably.
Sharp ran in the first round of the women’s 800m and progresses to today’s semi-finals after clocking 2:00.32 to finish second in the first heat.
The Great Britain team is making a three-pronged assault on the 800m title in Berlin and Sharp’s teammates Adelle Tracey (2:01.91) and Shelayna OskanClarke (2:04.08) also progressed.
Fellow Scot and British 800m champion Laura Muir has elected to focus on the 1,500m in Berlin, meaning Sharp is leading the British challenge as she seeks to win a title she claimed in Helsinki in 2012.
“I’ve been climbing the walls just waiting to get out,” said the Dumfries runner. “It’s been a boring couple of days and I needed to get out and compete.
“I felt so much more like myself out there and I was getting excited as I ran around feeling like me again.
“I was having to keep it under control though, which I did, and keep relaxed in the home straight. I don’t get excited very much.
“The 2012 and 2014 (Europeans) were really different and this one’s different again. I’m definitely on the hunt for a medal and to get that gold outright (Sharp finished behind Yelena Arzhakova in 2012 before her Russian rival was banned for doping) instead of being upgraded, it’s a massive goal for me.”
McAslan also proved her mettle on day two as she progressed to today’s women’s 400m hurdles semi-finals, where she will join fellow Scot Eilidh Doyle and Meghan Beesley.
The 24-year-old, daughter of former Scottish athletes Ewan McAslan and Fiona Hargreaves, finished second in her heat with a time of 56.78, just three tenths outside her personal best.
“I knew I had to attack it and execute my own race,” said McAslan. “I kept on running but I still couldn’t see anyone so I thought ‘you must be doing well’.”
Today will see Doyle, Sharp and McAslan all in action once again, while Glasgow’s Nikki Manson fires into the women’s high jump qualifying.
There’s also plenty of Scottish representation in the men’s 1,500m, where Chris O’Hare and Jake Wightman get their campaigns under way in the morning session.
Liverpool Harrier Tim Duckworth finished the first day of decathlon competition atop the leaderboard after five brilliant events from the 22-yearold, Holly Bradshaw made it into the pole vault final, while Martyn Rooney and Dwayne Cowan progressed in the 400m.