Asher-Smith and Hughes break records at UK Champs

Dina Asher-Smith and Zharnel Hughes broke competition records in claiming 200m victories at the UK Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

Former world champion Asher-Smith edged the women’s race in a dramatic photo finish, holding off 100m winner Amy Hunt to triumph in 22.14 seconds.

Hughes completed the men’s sprint double as he clocked 19.90 to add to his 100m victory on Saturday.

Athletes needed to achieve a top-two finish, and have met the World Athletics entry standard, to be assured of a place in the squad, to be announced on 27 August.

Olympic 1500m medallist Georgia Hunter Bell won the 800m final to secure a spot in Tokyo, where she could face training partner and Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson.

Max Burgin claimed a dominant win in the men’s 800m, while title favourites Charlie Dobson and Amber Anning earned 400m golds.

World 1500m champion Josh Kerr, already assured of a place in the squad in that event, had time to wave to the crowd in the closing stages of a comfortable 5,000m win.

After dedicating his 100m victory to his aunt, whose funeral he had to miss to be present at the trials, Hughes returned to the track to overpower his rivals and once again assert himself as the UK’s dominant male sprinter.

The British record holder in the 100m and 200m, Hughes followed up his wind-assisted sub-10 on Saturday by breaking Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake’s 200m championship record of 20.05.

After finishing clear of Jona Efoloko (20.42) and Ethan Wiltshire (20.51), world 100m bronze medallist Hughes said: “It felt fantastic. I can go a lot faster.

“My coach will get me much sharper. There’s still more than a month to go.”

Asher-Smith, who chose not to contest the 100m, ran a season’s best to capture the women’s 200m title despite being chased down by the fast-finishing Hunt.

“It was an excellent race. I didn’t know who had got it. The ladies ran amazingly and it bodes well for the relay,” Asher-Smith said.

“I’m in great shape, it was a great run and there are still a few things I can tweak, so I’m happy.”

Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Hunter Bell said she has not decided which event she will focus on at the Worlds, after moving clear of Jemma Reekie on the home straight to win in one minute 59.53 seconds.

“It’s a good problem to have. I have a lot of thinking to do,” said Hunter Bell, who trains with Hodgkinson under coaches Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows.

Burgin, a record-breaking junior, is continuing to build momentum after years of setbacks and led from the start to win comfortably in 1:43.92.

In the absence of Olympic and world 400m silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith, Dobson (45.36) was unmatched, while world indoor champion Anning (50.53) held off Victoria Ohuruogu.

Lake claimed her 10th consecutive national title in the women’s high jump with a first-time clearance of 1.87m, before going on to clear 1.90m, while Sawyers continued her return from injury by leaping 6.82m to regain the women’s long jump title.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson continued her heptathlon preparation by competing in the javelin and shot put on day two, having contested the 100m hurdles on Saturday.

The two-time world champion threw a season’s best 41.98m in a javelin final won by Bekah Walton (58.44m), and 12.43m in the shot put, won by Adele Nicoll (17.17m).

Lina Nielsen retained her women’s 400m hurdles title in 55.39, with Tyri Donovan winning the men’s title in 49.18.

Tade Ojora triumphed in the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.34, Phil Norman retained the men’s 3000m steeplechase title in 8:40.47, and Cam Corbishley and Hannah Hopper won the men’s and women’s 5,000m race walks respectively.

Jake Norris (men’s hammer), Zara Obamakinwa (women’s discus), Archie Yeo (men’s triple jump) and Owen Heard (men’s pole vault) were also among the winners.

Sophie Hahn claimed victory in the women’s 100m ambulant in 12.76.

Kieran O’Hara won the men’s 1500m ambulant in 4:03.70, with Kyle Brotherton winning the wheelchair event in 3:56.16.