Reece lightning! ATHLETICS
Prescod retains his 100m title . . . and Berlin beckons
REECE PRESCOD dropped the best of Britain on their backsides for the second straight year last night and then revealed how videos of Anthony Joshua might just see him conquer Europe as well.
That latter title in Berlin in August will l i kely require a stronger performance than the 10.06sec he delivered here at the nationals to beat Zharnel Hughes and CJ Ujah into second and third, but reassurance and hope for the European Championships comes from his apparent imperviousness to pressure.
For make no mistake, he was under some in Birmingham. Last year he had the luxury of storming through under the radar; this time the 22-year-old came with the hype of a defending champion and having run a wind-assisted 9.88sec earlier in the season.
That led to a proclamation that he could potentially beat Linford Christie’s 25-year-old national record of 9.87sec here and, while that proved fanciful, he did confirm that he is the best of what can be considered a golden generation. That is no small achievement.
Hughes had a claim to that status with his 9.91sec run earlier this month — the best in Europe this year — but Prescod was the comfortable winner in their showdown, finishing 0.07sec clear. They will now fill Britain’s two automatic 100m spots for the European Championships and Ujah, the reigning Diamond League champion, has strengthened his claim for a discretionary spot after finishing third in 10.18sec. It was a disappointing time in a disappointing season, but he has likely avoided an awkward selection situation by beating Nathaneel Mitchell- Blake, a fellow sub- 10 runner, into fourth. Ojie Edoburun was fifth.
It is entirely possible that Britain could secure a 1-2-3 in Berlin, with the smart money on Prescod to lead the charge.
He said: ‘It was a different kind of pressure this year. Last year I was a surprise to everyone else but this year everyone was kind of watching me, putting that pressure on me.
‘ Everyone now knows me as a racer — I turn up for the occasion and I do what I need to do to win.
‘I have been looking to role models TOP BRITS: Reece Prescod holds off Zharnel Hughes, while Dina Asher-Smith (inset) sets a British Championship record of 10.97sec in other sports. I have been watching Anthony Joshua and a few other top guys and taking bits of what they say about mentality. I have seen him perform on the big stage in boxing and even though it is a different field it is about embracing that — training hard, preparing right and coming to the championships and doing what you need to.
‘My mental game is what is going to take me to that next level.’
On the challenge of winning in Berlin next month, he said: ‘Last year I did well at the worlds and finished seventh. If I am seventh in the worlds you would expect me to contend for a medal at the Europeans, if not win gold.’
Meanwhile, Dina Asher-Smith ran a championship record 10.97sec to win the 100m title and Morgan Lake did likewise to take the high jump crown with a leap of 1.97m.
Earlier, former Olympic and world 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu, 34, announced her retirement.