by Stuart Weir
This is Stuart Weir’s feature on the women’s 60m at Birmingham WIT Final! Dina Asher-Smith set a second NR at 60m this season, with her final race of the indoor season. The journey to Budapest begins now.
Women’s 60m
The women’s 60m was a highlight of the program with a clash of the British titans, Dina Asher-Smith (7.04 earlier this year) and Darryl Neita (7.05 this year). Also in the field were Gina Lűckenkemper (European 100m champion) and two Americans (Kayla White and Destiny Smith-Barnett). The most intriguing athlete in the race was Shericka Jackson. We know what she can do at 400, 200, and 100 but what about 60? She had said at the presser the previous day: “I think once I get my first 30m together, then I’ll definitely run fast. My last 30m is okay but my first 30m is very bad. I had a really bad race in Boston, especially over the first 30m. Once I put the first 30m together, then anything is possible”.
The prelims set up the final nicely with Asher-Smith and Neita winning but Asher-smith broke the GB record (for the second time this season) running 7.03.
The result of the final was:
1 Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) – 7.05
2 Daryll Neita (GBR) – 7.13
3 Destiny Smith-Barnett (USA) – 7.15
4 Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) – 7.18
Dina said: “I’m really happy to have run a British record. I was aiming for sub-7 today but it’s good and it’s good that I’m frustrated running so fast. It bodes really well and everything has been going really well in training so I can’t complain”.
Daryll Neita said: “If I’m being honest, I’m not particularly happy with that run, I didn’t execute my start, but all in all 7.13 is a good day’s work. I’m happy with today. Indoors for me was just about sharpening up my 60 and I just want to get closer to having a good acceleration in my 100m race so I’m really excited and I think it’s looking good heading outdoors”.
That will be Dina’s last indoor race this year while Darryl heads for Istanbul and the European Indoors along with Lűckenkemper (seventh in the final).
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