7th June 2018

ASHER-SMITH SMASHES OWN 100M BRITISH RECORD IN OSLO

Dina Asher-Smith (coach: John Blackie) laid down a huge marker on her return to the Diamond League circuit, smashing her own British 100m record on a great night for British athletes at the Bislett Games in Oslo.

Asher-Smith has had a promising year so far, picking up a Commonwealth medal double in April and then clocking her third fastest 100m time ever – 11.06 seconds – last time out at the Eugene Diamond League and went even better in Norway.

Out of the blocks quickly on her return over 100m, Asher-Smith powered through to clock 10.92, taking 0.07 off her own British record set on home soil at the Anniversary Games in London back in 2015.

No athlete had ducked below 11 seconds for the 100m in Oslo since 2009 but Asher-Smith changed all that as did world indoor champion Murielle Ahoure, who just got the better of the Brit for victory in 10.91.

Elsewhere Chris O’Hare (Terrence Mahon) also made personal history as he claimed his maiden Diamond League victory in the 1500m while Adam Gemili (Rana Reider) ran a season’s best for fourth in the 200m and Laura Muir (Andy Young) was fifth in the 800m.

“I am really, really happy. It has been one of those things that my coach and I, and all of my team, having been working on for so long. I felt good and I knew that if I put my race together right I could possibly be in PB territory and I did,” said Asher-Smith.

“There were still bits of my race where I wasn’t happy but it is a process and hopefully I am looking to go quicker as the season goes on. I knew that she [Ahoure] won because when you are racing you can tell. I was so close to her that I knew I had run a PB when I saw the time. Second with a 10.92 PB is great for me.”

O’Hare, who won the Wanamaker Mile and Boston leg of the IAAF World Indoor Tour at the start of the year, was tactically astute as he held off two to win the 1500m in 3:35.96 minutes and notch a familiar British victory.

Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman) won over 1500m at this meeting in Oslo last year, with O’Hare – who was ninth a week ago in the distance at the Rome Diamond League – leaving the Bislett Games with a season’s best.

World champion Gemili is getting better with races as he returns from injury, his season’s best 20.21 for the 200m in Oslo far quicker than his comeback effort in Hengelo and his best since September 2016.

Muir, who has only recently finished her university veterinary exams, clocked 1:59.09 minutes for fifth in the 800m – less than half a second shy of her personal best as Olympic and world champion Caster Semenya took victory.

Like Gemili, Anyika Onuora (Reider) is improving with every outing, recording a season’s best 51.60 for seventh in the 400m – that time also moving her level at the top of the Power of 10 rankings – having posted 51.63 in Hengelo at the weekend.

Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson) cleared 4.51m for fifth in the pole vault while Rosie Clarke (David Harmer) was ninth in the 3000m steeplechase in 9:42.80 after being dealt an unlucky hand involving the height of one of the barriers early on.

Wightman, on his return to Oslo, ran in the mile and was ninth in 3:59.15. Julie Rogers (Allen Adamson) set the tone for the Brits in action as she clocked a season’s best 17.51 for second in the Mixed 100m Para race.

Highlights of Asher-Smith’s record-breaking run and the rest of the Oslo Diamond League will be shown on BBC One on Saturday at 14:50.