Dina Asher-Smith storms to 200m World Championship gold for Britain

British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith stormed to the World Championship 200m title, stretching away from the field.

The 23-year-old - who won silver in the 100m - destroyed the field as she led from the gun and never looked like losing.

Asher-Smith crossed the line in 21.88 - a new British record - and was a full five metres clear of American Brittany Brown in second and Switzerland's Mujinga Kambundji taking bronze.

In the process she became just the seventh British woman to win a world title.

She is also the first British woman to win a world sprint title.

The smiles says it all as Asher-Smith crosses the line first. Credit: PA

The field was severely depleted after defending world champion Dafne Schippers and reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson both withdrew with injuries. Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica withdrew after winning the 100m on Sunday.

But the young Londoner will not mind a bit, and the tears and smiles were there for all to see as she made her way round on a lap of honour.

Dina Asher-Smith is only the seventh British woman to win an individual world gold. Credit: PA

She joins Fatima Whitbread, Liz McColgan, Sally Gunnell, Paula Radcliffe, Christine Ohuruogu and Jessica Ennis-Hill in having won individual world gold for Great Britain.

Her mother, Julie, simply tweeted: "World champion. #speechless"

Speaking to the BBC, Dina said: "I don't know what to say, I don't think it's properly sunk in.

"I woke up today thinking 'this is it. This is the moment you did all your work for'. The tiredness disappeared.

"All the support means so much. For my mum, my dad and his wife to be here, it means so much.

"I'm lost for words. I dreamt of this and now it's real."

Dame Kelly Holmes watched the moment Dina won with ITV News Correspondent Lucy Watson.

When asked what Dina will hope for in her future, Ms Holmes said: "Olympics isn't it? It's always, from anyone especially in athletics if the pinnacle is in Athletic Games you want to be standing on that rostrum."

Ms Holmes continued: "With the pedigree she has got and the rise since her junior career, she's got it, she's World Champion, she is a champion and that's what you need because once you've done it you can believe you can do it again."

Speaking of Dina's ambition, Ms Holmes said: "You can hear it every time she speaks, she wants this badly, she trains to race, she changed to perform, she races to win."

She added: "I think with her, because she is so good, her next level is yes she gets a medal but to be one of the world's best consistently is going to be on fast she can run because you can win in not a fast time...but if you want to be one of the best in the world you've got to be better than everyone that steps out on that track, whatever you do."

  • Pupils at Orpington primary school, where Dina Asher-Smith attended as a youngster, speak about her win