Dina Asher-Smith unfazed by her Olympic rivals after winning British 100m title
The 25-year-old claimed the national crown ahead of next month’s Tokyo Games.
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Your support makes all the difference.Dina Asher-Smith insisted she remains unfazed by her Olympic rivals after winning the British 100m title.
The 25-year-old took the crown in 10.97 seconds at the British Athletics Championships in Manchester.
World 200m champion Asher-Smith had earlier set a new championship record with a dominant run of 10.91 seconds in the semi-final.
She goes to the Tokyo Games next month with 100m favourite Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who earlier this month set a world leading 10.63 seconds, winning the Jamaica Olympic trials in 10.71 seconds on Friday.
Asher-Smith said: “I’m in great shape, I know we all run in different continents and different conditions but when you all meet that’s what really matters.
“It (seeing other races) does give you indicators of where you are and what you can do but the true test is when you’re all together and what you perform like under the circumstances. I have faster in me. I’m in good shape. I’m a championship performer.”
The trackside timer initially clocked her final run at 10.71 seconds – a new British record – but was quickly changed to her official time.
“There are a few things I did wrong so when I crossed the line I was a bit like, ‘wow, OK’,” added Asher-Smith.
“Maybe I can go so much faster because that wasn’t the perfect race, so I’m not entirely surprised to see the clock was not 10.71 but a win is a win at the Olympic trials.”
Asha Philip and Daryll Neita were second and third respectively but Asher-Smith underlined her dominance over her British rivals ahead of the start of the Olympics next month.
CJ Ujah qualified for the Olympics by taking the men’s 100m title in 10.05 seconds after European champion Zharnel Hughes was disqualified for a false start.
Andrew Pozzi finished a surprise third in the 110m hurdles after clipping hurdle eight but will still make the plane for Tokyo as he has the qualifying time. Tade Ojora took victory.
Pozzi said: “I lost my rhythm and didn’t regain it. I was really close to the hurdles early on and it was a bad run.”
Earlier, Laura Muir breezed into Sunday’s 800m final with a comfortable run.
Muir, a four-time European Indoor champion who already has the Olympic qualifying standard, won her heat in two minutes 05.41 seconds.
The 28-year-old also confirmed for the first time she will run both the 800m and 1500m in Tokyo.
She said: “I wanted to see how I raced over 800m. I’m really happy with that and how I was placing against other girls in the world. I’m ranked really highly up.
“I think I can make that Olympic final in the 800m and once there, anything can happen.
“So rather than put all the eggs in one basket, I’d rather spread them out a bit. The timetable works in Tokyo. I know I’m strong. I know I can double. I know I’m good in both events. So I might as well do it.”
Training partner Jemma Reekie also reached the final by winning her heat in two minutes 01.46 seconds.
Elliot Giles, who set a new British 800m record in Poland earlier this year, ran one minute 47.28seconds to advance to Sunday’s men’s final.
Jessica Turner won the women’s 400m hurdles title and booked her Team GB spot.
Holly Bradshaw broke her own British record at 4.90m to take the pole vault title.
Josh Kerr won the men’s 1500m and Laurence Okoye claimed the discus title with a throw of 61.71m.