Asher-Smith ‘proud’ after Diamond victory

The final Diamond League of the year last night saw 16 disciplines decided at the Memorial Van Damme Meeting in Brussels where UK record-holder Dina Asher-Smith won the 100m.

She got off to the perfect start as she clocked a season’s best 10.88 seconds – three hundredths shy of her UK record.

Former World and Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce – the fastest woman in the world this year and previously unbeaten this season over 100m and 200m – was second in 10.95.

Marie-Josée Ta Lou (Ivory Coast) finished third in 11.09.

Asher-Smith said: “I’m happy with that I’ve won the Diamond. I came here wanting to get in a strong run before the World Championships. I’m really happy and really proud.”

Scottish 800m record holder Lynsey Sharp was sixth in 2:01.67 in the tightest of finishes as Ajee Wilson won in a photofinish, timed at 2:00.24 and pipping US colleague Raevyn Rodgers in 2:00.67.

Sharp will now head to the Doha Wold Championships confident of making the final.

“I’ve not usually had an issue with getting through the rounds and improving as a Championships develops,” she said.

“I generally do improve and I am used to racing these girls and racing at this level. So I will go to Doha and I feel that I can be a medal contender.”

World one-mile record holder Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) launched a devastating sub 60 seconds final lap in the 5,000m to clock a winning time of 14 minute 26.26 seconds – three seconds clear of Ethiopian Letesenet Gidey (Ethiopia).

Orlando Ortega (Spain) won the 110m hurdles, while Andy Pozzi was sixth on his comeback from injury. Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson was third in the long jump