By Ros Satar
- Shara Proctor just misses out on long jump gold in the final round
- Jumps to a new national record and is the first Brit to jump over 7m
- Dina Asher-Smith breaks Kathy Cook’s 31-year-old record finishing fifth in the 200m
BEIJING, CHINA – Shara Proctor almost made it a long jump double for Great Britain before USA’s Tianna Bartoletta’s final jump pushed the Brit into silver medal position with a massive leap of 7.14m.
The American won the World title a decade ago as a teenager, and was lying in the bronze medal position after Proctor added an impressive nine centimetres to her existing national record, and looked to set Britain on a course for an epic Long Jump double, until Bartoletta’s leap.
Proctor said: “I feel like a winner, I don’t care about the colour of the medal. I was told I might not be strong enough. I’m here, I conquered.”
The Brits were well-represented in the final, with heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson having hoped to put her dismal experience in her first event behind her, after qualifying for the long jump final, but she could only manage a best of 6.63m in the first three jumps, before bowing out of the second round of the final. She had managed 6.93m indoors earlier this year, but once more struggled with her run-up and will probably want to forget this whole experience, but the 22-year-old no doubt has a bright future ahead of her. Lorraine Ugen finished fifth with a second round jump of 6.85m.
Another star with a glittering future was Dina Asher-Smith, who finally erased Kathy Cook’s 200m record, lodged 31 years ago in the Los Angeles Olympics. In a blistering race, with the medal winners all under 22s, Asher-Smith hung on for fifth place, leaving Cook with just a world’s best at 300m to her name.
Dafne Schippers won to become the third fastest woman in history at 21.63s, followed in by a Jamaican two and three Elaine Thompson and Veronica Campbell-Brown.
“I’m absolutely over the moon with that,” said the 19-year-old, talking to BBC Sport after the race. “Just to be in a race of that standard – 21.63 is absolutely ridiculous. Hats off to Dafne, but I gave it my all. I always run better when I’m relaxed. I’m really happy to run a PB in a world final. I can’t ask for more. I really didn’t imagine I’d be coming fifth in the world a year after winning world juniors. It’s amazing to be part of such a brilliant race.”
Asher-Smith will be in action for Great Britain in the relays as the World Championships head towards their conclusion this weekend.
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