Asher-Smith surges to 200m win and competition best at UK championships
It was, she revealed, immediately after a disappointing run at the Eugene Diamond League four weeks ago that she decided a major change was required and there was no time to wait.
Midseason upheavals are rare in athletics, and Asher-Smith had only moved to Texas to work with the coach Edrick Floréal at the back end of 2023. But something – and, for now, she does not want to reveal precisely what – was not working. So, with barely more than one month until the Tokyo world championships, the former world 200m champion packed her bags and flew home to London.
Asher-Smith has run twice since: first finishing a fine second to the Olympic silver medalist Julien Alfred over 200m at the London Diamond League a fortnight ago, and then clocking 22.14sec to triumph in Birmingham on Sunday. That was a time good enough time to make the Olympic podium last summer; one she has bettered only once since 2022.
Whatever has changed since returning to London – and the details are deliberately lacking, for now – it is clearly paying off. 'I am back in London and so grateful to have an incredible support system,' she said, determined to avoid specifics.
'Everybody is different, and different set-ups in different locations mean different things for everybody. I just think, for me, and the personality type I am, I need to be happy, free and my fullest, most vibrant self. I need to be in an environment where I can have discussions and work hard through my races week on week. I think it's really important to be in an environment that recognises that and fosters it.
'I'm more than happy to talk about it after Tokyo but I just want to stay focused because I am in great shape and know I can go there and perform really well. I've been really happy with these last two races because I've been able to be me and run really fast.'
The clock showed as much on a blustery Sunday afternoon at the Alexander Stadium. Aided by a perfect 1.9m/s tailwind, Asher-Smith claimed the British title by a whisker from Amy Hunt, who had been crowned 100m champion a day earlier in Asher-Smith's absence. The finish was so close that Hunt was awarded the same time, but had to make do with silver. They will resume battle in Tokyo in September, alongside Daryll Neita, who finished third.
There was also an incredibly quick championship record of 19.90sec from Zharnel Hughes, who added the 200m crown to the 100m he had claimed on Saturday, when dedicating the win to his aunt whose funeral he missed to compete this weekend.
Elsewhere, Georgia Hunter Bell gave herself the headache of whether to run just one or both of the 800m and 1500m in Tokyo after easing to the British title over the shorter distance in 1min 59.53sec. The Olympic 1500m bronze medalist must decide before the British team announcement at the end of this month.
'I am probably in better shape over 800m on the world stage,' she said. 'But the 1500m is first, so I could really tire myself out by doing three rounds of hard 1500m and coming fifth or sixth after running a crazy fast time.
'It is head over heart. How cool would it be to follow in the footsteps of the great British athletes like Seb Coe, Kelly Holmes, Steve Cram, who did double up, and were successful? It is hard to decide.'
Hunter Bell's 800m triumph came in the absence of the Olympic champion and her training partner Keely Hodgkinson, who has not raced this year but is due to return from injury this month.
Asked whether she can beat Hodgkinson, Hunter Bell said: 'I don't know. We train together all the time. She's such a good athlete and it will be the first time we've raced where we're kind of close. Whenever I have raced her before she's been so far ahead. It will be interesting. I still think she's a league ahead, so we'll see.'
There were British titles for a number of world medal hopefuls, including the reigning world 1500m champion Josh Kerr, who cruised to 5,000m gold. Amber Anning and Charlie Dobson picked up 400m crowns, while Max Burgin front ran his way to 800m victory. Morgan Lake won the high jump, with Jazmin Sawyers continuing her comeback from an achilles rupture to take long jump gold.
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