Asher-Smith’s hopes of gold given boost

Dina Asher-Smith’s chances of World Championships gold continued to grow after a raft of rivals pulled out of the 200m as Adam Gemili kept his medal hopes alive.

Four-time European champion Asher-Smith claimed 100m silver on Sunday in the first part of her treble medal bid and breezed into the 200m semi-finals yesterday.

Defending champion Dafne Schippers has withdrawn with an adductor problem and the Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou, who won 100m bronze, is also out injured.

New 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will not run while Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare was disqualified for stepping out of her lane in heat five.

Asher-Smith broke her own 100m British record to set 10.83 seconds and win her first individual global medal in Doha but the 23-year-old insisted there was no release of pressure.

“I wouldn’t call it a relief. I don’t think about it like that,” said Asher-Smith, who ran 22.32 in her 200m heat.

“I’m just proud of myself, I’ve definitely taken my time and worked my way up from being a relay runner and then through Beijing through London and the broken foot.

“It’s just been a lot of hard work that I’m proud. We’ve got more goals to go through the week. I’ve never really got nervous, not since 2013 but I definitely get adrenaline which is good.”

Beth Dobbin also reached the semifinals after coming third in heat six in 23.14 seconds.

In the men’s 200m Gemili reached tonight’s final at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Gemili ran a season’s best of 20.03 and told the BBC: “My coach said ‘win the semi, get a good lane and once you are in the final you have a chance of medalling’.

“I feel good, I feel fit and healthy, so no complaints. I don’t think I have quite lived up to what people expected and I am just trying to run my best.”

Zharnel Hughes failed to progress and Miguel Francis was forced to pull out after suffering a quad strain in Sunday’s heats.

Laviai Nielsen reached the 400m semi-finals with a run of 51.52 seconds but Emily Diamond missed out, while Andrew Pozzi also reached the 110m hurdles semi-finals in 13.53 seconds.

Norway’s Karsten Warholm took the 400m hurdle title but missed out on a world record. He ran 47.42s and beat Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba into third with the USA’s Rai Benjamin second.

Mariya Lasitskene, competing as an Authorised Neutral Athlete, won her third women’s high jump world title in a row.

Dina Asher-Smith on her way to winning her 200 metres heat yesterday.