Page 3 - Summer2016Gazette

Athletics Report 3

The World Championships, London 2017…

Gold and silver linings from clouds of injury

team for the London World
A lot can happen in five Championships hanging by a
years. In 2012 at the London thread. This was made tougher
Olympics there was no British by the competition he faced for
women’s sprint relay team but a selection, from such rivals as
new generation of sprinters both Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake who
female and male were beginning came first in the trials in 20.18
to make a mark at junior level, seconds – and second-placed
ready to step forward and up to finisher Danny Talbot both of
the higher levels of competition. whom secured automatic selec-
Such were Desiree Henry and tion as well as Zharnel Hughes,
Dinah Asher-Smith who were who was hampered by a tight
present in London in 2012, in hamstring and finished fourth.
other capacities than as athletes. Despite giving it his best shot
In 2012 Adam Gemili had Gemili, was grasping his right Dina Asher Smith, agonisingly
been considering a professional thigh after clocking 20.97sec, close to a medal in the 200m but
soccer career but had now made his slowest time in four years. winning one in the relays.
his initial steps towards an “I’m not fit and where I need to realistic hopes and expectations
international athletic career. be” he admitted. “I ran 20.97sec but, in February, during her
They would be the forerun- and that’s nowhere near my last training session before the
ners in a new generation now standard.” Müller Indoor Grand Prix meet-
emerging which might see British Only one 200m berth remained ing in Birmingham she landed
Athletics gain a supremacy on open to be chosen at the selec- awkwardly on her foot and
the world stage. Nonetheless for tors’ discretion. and to focus on fractured it. She looked unlikely
the two foremost Blackheath the 200m, Gemili acknowledged to make these championships
athletes of this new generation, he needed to be sure of near given their proximity and was
2017 would see challenges and fitness, if he got selected, whilst unable to run on anything other
obstacles which they would need sodjouning at the team’s holding than grass. By June she was only
to face and overcome before the camp. He admitted that missing just back jogging.
material success could be fully out was harder to take because
realised. he believed the 200m – without Although she had acquired
the distinction of becoming
superstar Usain Bolt (focusing the fastest British woman of
The Agony on the 100m on his sprint swan- all time over 100m and 200m,
In a year after he came within song) was wide open and could Asher-Smith was a shadow of
see all three Britons challenging
a whisker of Olympic bronze for the podium positions. her former self as she made her
having finished just three-thou- seasonal debut at the British
sandths of a second off the However he hoped his fans Trials in the 100 metres, trailing
200m podium, a hamstring would remember what he was in sixth place behind winner
injury meant that Adam Gemili really capable of and that at Asha Philip and her time of
was unable to book his London major championships he always 11.53 seconds was her slowest in
performed well “I’m so pleased
2017 place at the British Trials I have the opportunity to com- three years. By failing to finish
for the World Championships in pete in London and to showcase in the top two, Asher-Smith,
21, missed out on automatic
July trailing in sixth. my talent in front of the world selection for the World Cham-
Adam Gemili admitted he and I’m going for it.” pionships which meant she had
had no choice but to “pray for Meanwhile for Dina Ash- to gain selection through the
selection” after this injury left er-Smith the world champi- discretionary third spot in the
his hopes of making the British onships year had begun with team.