World Athletics Championships: Dina Asher-Smith through to 200m final – BBC Sport, BBC News

Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith underlined her status as favorite for the 200 m world title as she effortlessly qualified for Wednesday’s final.

The 23 – year-old world 100 m silver medallist won her semi-final in 22. 16 seconds – the fastest time of the day.

Her hopes of becoming the first British female to win a world sprint title increased with the withdrawal of Olympic champion Elaine Thompson.

The final in Doha’s Khalifa Stadium begins at 20: (BST.)

Compatriots Jodie Williams and Beth Dobbin failed to qualify for the final.

Asher-Smith’s time was a third of a second faster than the second fastest qualifier, USA’s Brittany Brown. American champion Anglerne Annelus also qualified by winning her semi-final in 22. 49.

The stars appear aligned for Asher-Smith with Jamaica’s Thompson joining 100 m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, 100 m bronze medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou and Dutch defending champion Dafne Schippers among the main contenders to have pulled out. Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare, who had run faster than the Briton this year, was disqualified in her heat on Monday.

And before the championships, Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who won the 200 m Diamond League trophy by beating the European champion comfortably in Zurich, elected to race only in the 400 m because of the scheduling.

• Day-to-day guide to the Championships
• How to follow live on BBC TV, radio and online

Miller reaches hammer final

Elsewhere, it was another mixed day for the British squad.

) Nick Miller, ranked fourth in the world, qualified for Wednesday’s hammer final with a throw of 76. 36 m . The Commonwealth champion, who was only one of three men to throw over 80 m last year, could become the first British male medallist in a throwing event since Steve Backley won javelin silver in 1997.

Rabah Yousif, 32, was the only Briton to qualify for Wednesday’s men’s 400 m semi -finals as he finished third in his heat. European champion Matthew Hudson-Smith suffered an injury after less than 100 m and had to be helped off the track.

“I am surprised I felt good. I wasn’t too stiff so I just had to come and give it a go, “said Yousif, who has already competed in two 4x 400 m races.

” I need another couple of gears. “

Grenada’s Kirani James, who won the world title in 2011 and gold at London 2012, was the fastest qualifier in 44. 94 seconds. USA’s Michael Norman and Fred Kerley, two of the favorites having both run under 44 secs this season, are also through.

World and Olympic champion and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk failed to recover from a knee injury in time for the Championships.

In the women’s 400 m, Britons Laviai Nielsen and Emily Diamond missed out on a place in Thursday’s final. Olympic champion Miller-Uibo eased into the final and is the outstanding favor.

Both European bronze medallist Meghan Beesley and Jessica Turner qualified for Wednesday’s 400 m hurdles semi-finals. The pair finished third in their respective heats.

“I have had a great two years now, I am feeling strong now,” Beesley told BBC Sport. “I hope I can go out there tomorrow and step it up a bit.”

USA pair Dalilah Muhammad and Sydney McLaughlin also progressed. Olympic champion Muhammad, 29, is the hot favorite having set a new world record – 52 . 20 seconds – at the national trials.

In the men’s 3, 000 m steeplechase heats, Zak Seddon, Britain’s sole representative, finished seventh in his heat and missed out on a place in Friday’s final.

(USA win three golds on day five

The United States surged further ahead in the medal table after three gold medals on day five, includingNoah Lyles ‘victory in the men’s 200 m.

Further success came in the men’s pole vault final, which proved to be a titanic tussle between American defending champion Sam Kendricks and Swedish prodigy Armand Duplantis.

It appeared that the 19 – year-old European champion had it sewn up when he cleared 5. 97 m with his third attempt, before the American matched his feat to a roar inside the Khalifa International Stadium.

Duplantis failed to clear 6. 02 m, which handed Kendricks the victory on count-back. Bronze went to Poland’s Piotr Lisek.

In the men’s 800 m final, Donavan Brazier’s bold tactics paid off as he comfortably won in one minute 42 . 34 seconds – a new championship and USA record.

The 22 – year-old, second in the world ranking behind the injured Nijel Amos of Botswana, began his bid for home from 300 m out and kept his form to win his first major title.

Bosnian Amel Tuka claimed silver and Kenya’s Ferguson Rotich was third.

Farid ‘breaking down barriers’

                                     

                

One of the moments of the championships came in the heats for the 400 m hurdles when Qatar’s Mariam Mamdouh Farid finished last in one minute 9. (seconds – nearly 12 secs behind the next placed athlete, but in a personal best time.

The 21 – year-old, one of two female athletes from Qatar taking part in the World Athletics Championships for the first time, explained why her participation at the event was important.

“My goal is inspiring the younger generation, breaking down barriers, making people’s perception of how women are in the Middle East, “said Farid, who was competing in a black full bodysuit under a national team singlet.

” We are not oppressed. I can still compete with my scarf on. If there is something I want to do, I will do it. “