Dina Asher-Smith has become the first British woman to win a global sprint title.

Her 21.88 second dash at the World Championships in Doha easily secured 200 metres victory and a piece of history.

The 23-year-old has long been proclaimed as the brightest star in British sprinting but this is her first individual senior title at world level and represents a major leap to the pinnacle of the sport.

She was watched by mum Julie inside Qatar’s Kahlifa stadium. Some of Asher-Smith’s biggest rivals were missing from the race, with Olympic Champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica withdrawing through injury before the semi-finals.

But Asher-Smith breezed through to the final and was hot favourite to take the title, handling the pressure which goes along with that expectation.

She had already won a silver medal in the 100m earlier in the championships to add to three sprint titles in the 100m, 200m and 100m relay at the European Championships last year.

Alongside a gruelling training regime and coaching sessions at Blackheath and Bromley athletics club in London, Asher-Smith continued her studies, graduating with a degree in history from Kings College London in 2017.

Asher-Smith joins the likes of Fatima Whitbread, Sally Gunnell, Paula Radcliffe, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Liz McColgan in having won individual world gold for Britain.

Her time was a personal best.

After the race, she said: “I don’t think it has sunk in, but between now and the last championships, we knew I could do it, but to actually do it…

“It means so much.

“I woke up today thinking this is it. I have the relay, but this was the last individual one. The tiredness went at the right time.

“There are lots of British people living in Doha but lots of people travelled to be here too and that means a lot.”

She thanked her parents and family for supporting her.

“You’re only the favourite if you go out and perform how people expect you to and I was really focused on putting together a good race.

“I dreamt of this but now it’s real,” she said.

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