Asher-Smith goes to 200m victory and competition to the best of the British championships

There was a lot that Dina Asher-Smith chose not to say after organizing a scintillating championship record to keep her British title 200m on Sunday, but there were enough. More revealing, she spoke with a big smile.

It was, she revealed, immediately after a disappointing race at Eugene Diamond League four weeks ago that she decided that a major change was necessary and that there was no time to wait.

In relation: Zharnel Hughes devotes the British title of 100m to Aunt after missing his funeral to run

The mid -season upheavals are rare in athletics, and Asher -Smith had moved to Texas only to work with coach Edrick Floreal in the back of 2023. But something – and, for the moment, she does not want to reveal precisely what – did not work. So, with barely more than a month until the Tokyo World Championships, the former 200m world champion wrapped his bags and turned to London.

Asher-Smith ran twice since: finishing for the first time a beautiful second behind the medalist of Olympic Silver Julien Alfred more than 200m at the London Diamond League a fortnight ago, then obtained 22.14 seconds to triumph at Birmingham on Sunday. It was good enough to do Olympic podium last summer; The one she has improved only once since 2022.

Everything that has changed since his return to London – and the details are deliberately lacking, for the moment – this clearly bears fruit. “I am back in London and so grateful to have an incredible support system,” she said, determined to avoid details.

“Everyone is different, and different configurations in different places mean different things for everyone. I just think that for me, and the type of personality that I am, I must be happy, free and my most full and the most vibrant. I must be in an environment where I can have discussions and work hard during my week of week by week. I think it is really important to be in an environment that recognizes it and fosser them.

“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 I know that I can go and work well. I was really happy with these last two races because I was able to be me and run very quickly.”

The clock showed as much a windy Sunday afternoon at the Alexander stadium. Helped by a perfect rear wind of 1.9 m / s, Asher-Smith won the British title by a mustache from Amy Hunt, which had been crowned 100m champion a day earlier in the absence of Asher-Smith. The arrival was so close that Hunt was rewarded at the same time, but had to settle for money. They will resume the battle in Tokyo in September, alongside Daryll Neita, who finished third.

There was also an incredibly rapid 19.90-second championship record of Zharnel Hughes, who added the 200m crown to the 100m he had claimed on Saturday, when he was made to his aunt’s victory whose funeral he missed to compete this weekend.

Elsewhere, Georgia Hunter Bell gave himself the headache to run if he should only lead one or both of the 800m and 1500m to Tokyo after having relaxed the British title on the shortest distance at 1 min 59.53sec. The 1500m Olympic bronze medalist must decide before the British team’s announcement at the end of this month.

“I am probably in a better form on 800 m on the world scene,” she said. “But the 1500m is the first, so I could really tire myself by making three rounds of 1500m hard and coming fifth or sixth after spending a quick time.

“It is the head on the heart. How cool it would be to follow in the footsteps of the great British athletes like Seb Coe, Kelly Holmes, Steve Cram, who has doubled and succeeded? It is difficult to decide.”

The triumph of Hunter Bell’s 800m came in the absence of the Olympic champion and her training partner Keely Hodgkinson, who has not run this year but which should return from the injury this month.

When asked if she could beat Hodgkinson, Hunter Bell said: “I don’t know. We will train together all the time. It is such a good athlete and it will be the first time that we run where we are a little close. Each time I have run before it is so far. It will be interesting. I always think it is a league to come, so we will see.”

There were British titles for a certain number of hope of the world’s medals, including the defending world champion of the 1500m Josh Kerr, who crossed the gold of 5,000 meters. Amber Anning and Charlie Dobson won 400m crowns, while Max Burgin Front ran at 800m. Morgan Lake won the high jump, with Jazmin Sawyers continuing his return from a rupture of Achilles to take length gold.