Dina Asher-Smith destroyed her opponents – and sent the clock dizzy – as she booked her place at the Olympics next month with victory in the British 100m trials in Manchester.
As Asher-Smith crossed the line the clock initially showed a time of 10.71sec – which would have been the second-fastest time in the world this year. No wonder the crowd gasped in stunned awe – only for the time to be revised up to 10.97 about 30 seconds later.
“If I’m being completely honest I have to admit when I was running there were a few things I did wrong,” said Asher-Smith, who finished well clear of Asha Philip, who was second in 11.16. “So when I crossed the line and saw the time was a bit like: ‘Wow, OK.’
“I know that wasn’t the perfect race, but a win is a win and I am delighted to be heading to the Olympics.”
Four women have run quicker this year – the American firecracker Sha’Carri Richardson and three Jamaicans, the reigning 100m Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah, the world champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Shericka Jackson.
However, Asher-Smith insists it does not bother her with the Tokyo Olympics a month away. “I know I’m in really, really, good shape,” she said.
There was a shock in the men’s 100m final as the favourite, Zharnel Hughes, was disqualified for a false start, leaving CJ Ujah a clear path to victory in 10.05.
Hughes, the reigning European champion, will surely get a discretionary place in the British team for Tokyo when it is announced on Tuesday. However, the hopes of Reece Prescod, who once looked destined for great things before injury intervened, look over after he finished fifth in 10.33.
Meanwhile, as British athletics began to digest the news that Mo Farah would not be competing in Tokyo, his coach, Gary Lough, defiantly insisted his man was not finished at the age of 38.
“This isn’t one of those ‘past-your-sell-by dates, you can’t do this any more’ things,” said Lough after Farah had finished 19 seconds outside the Olympic 10,000m qualifying time in front of a crowd of a few hundred people – and a few cardboard cutouts.
“And there’s no way Mohamed Farah is going to end his career running around the track here.”
Lough was just as emphatic when asked whether it could be Farah’s final race. “Do you think that was fitting for his last race?” he replied. “There are going to be big conversations after this. But in terms of what’s next, I honestly don’t know. There wasn’t really a Plan B – this was kind of a plan B after the UK trials in Birmingham and there’s definitely not a plan C right at this minute.”
When asked whether Farah really could have been a medal contender in Tokyo, Lough nodded. “That is why it is so devastating. The last two weeks of training shows that he’s still very capable but he has been dealt some rough cards. He struggles in the cold.
“I feel stupid saying this because the last two performances from him have been very average.”
Farah has denied appearing in I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! last November was a factor in his poor season. “Since then I’ve had some good training camps,” he said. “Training has gone well. The little niggle three weeks ago got sorted. I’ve had a good 10 days, 12 days, training camp in Font Romeu.”
Holly Bradshaw showed that she is a genuine medal contender in Tokyo by breaking her British record in the pole vault by clearing 4.90m. “I feel like I am in the best shape of my life,” said Bradshaw, who is now third in the world rankings. “I’m really glad it is coming through.”
The best race of the second day of the UK trials came in the men’s 1500m when Josh Kerr held off Jake Wightman at the death after running the final 400m in 51sec.
