Dina Asher-Smith has blamed a mystery nerve problem that left her without feeling below the waist for her failure to challenge for a medal in either sprint event at the World Athletics Championships.
On a night that saw Noah Lyles and Shericka Jackson complete two of the greatest-ever 200m performances, Britain could not add to their medal haul as Zharnel Hughes followed up his 100m bronze with fourth and Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita were respectively seventh and fifth in the women’s event.
While Neita could be thrilled with an outstanding 22.16sec personal best when it mattered most, Asher-Smith’s disappointment was acute after arriving in Budapest believing that she was in the best form of her life.
Things began to unravel mid-race in Monday’s 100m semi-final, however, when she suddenly felt no feeling from the waist down and only qualified for the final as a fastest loser. Although the sensation did gradually return that same night, Asher-Smith remained well short of the 200m personal best she set in winning the 2019 title and which would have left her vying for silver and bronze with Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson.
Jackson, though, was completely out of sight with a gold medal time of 21.41sec that was not just a championship record but the second fastest in history behind only Florence Griffth-Joyner at the 1988 Olympic Games some 35 years ago.
“It’s not how me or my team envisaged this week going – I was in incredible shape,” said Asher-Smith. “I was going great [in the 100m semi-final] and then I just couldn’t feel anything below my waist. So, neurally, I kind of did something. I wasn’t in pain. But, neurally, I didn’t have any control and I was still dealing with that. Sometimes when life hands you lemons, you have to make lemonade. I did the best with the cards I have been handed.”
Hughes was also below his best this season with a time 20.02sec but, in what had been his sixth race in seven days, was satisfied with the two sprint series he had put together. Lyles had boldly predicted before the 200m final that he would even beat Usain Bolt’s 200m world record of 19.19sec and, while that particular prediction proved misguided, he did still obliterate the field in 19.52sec to secure a world sprint double.
It was also his third straight world 200 title. Both of those achievements were last matched by Bolt. “I’m ready to transcend the sport,” said Lyles. “I want to move past just being track famous.” Of the Netflix documentary that is being filmed in Budapest about the world’s best sprinters, he said: “It went from a docu-series about the fastest people to a docu-series about me.”
Hughes looked to the sprint relays on Saturday night when Britain will have medal chances in both the women’s and men’s event. “My body’s saying enough but my brain is saying I can still go,” said Hughes. “Tomorrow is the last day – I’m going to bring my ‘A’ game. Whatever leg they put me on, I’m ready to do damage.”
Jeremiah Azu revealed that the relay team had not spoken with Reece Prescod in recent days after he pulled out of the team over fears that he could risk injury by staying in the team. Prescod then compared his treatment by the hierarchy of British Athletics to “emotional blackmail”. His place on the final leg will be taken by the 31-year-old full-time accountant Eugene Amo-Dadzie. “It’s surreally, a boyhood dream – I have watched so many relays on the sofa,” said Amo-Dadzie.