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(BBC)
Dina Asher-Smith says she has “more to give” after she set the fastest time in the women’s 100m heats at the World Athletics Championships.
Asher-Smith, the 200m world champion, progressed to the semi-finals in Eugene, Oregon, in 10.84 seconds – the second quickest time of her career.
Fellow Briton Daryll Neita also qualified for the next round with a season’s best of 10.95.
Olympic silver medallist Laura Muir later breezed into the 1500m final.
Chasing her first World Championship podium, the Scot was a comfortable second in her semi-final at Hayward Field with a season’s best of four minutes 01.78 seconds.
Earlier on day two of the championships, Eilish McColgan placed 10th in the women’s 10,000m final while Jess Judd was 11th.
Related: Fred Kerley wins men’s 100m gold in US clean sweep of World Athletics medals
‘Aspirations high’ for Asher-Smith
Asher-Smith won three medals at the 2019 World Championships in Doha but was left heartbroken at last year’s Olympics in Tokyo after missing out on the 100m final and pulling out of the 200m with a hamstring injury.
But she showed she is back to her best on Saturday, her time in the 100m heats a season’s best and just one hundredth of a second off the personal best she set when she won world silver three years ago.
It put the 26-year-old ahead of Jamaica’s four-time 100m world champion and world leader Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the overall results heading into Sunday’s semi-finals and final.
“Obviously I’m coming here as a reigning world champion and world silver medallist so clearly the aspirations are high for me,” Asher-Smith told BBC Sport.
“I knew that I’d been waiting all season to peak for this. I’m happy, I’ve got some more to give, but I was happy that I nailed the essential bits today.
“I honestly did not expect that time, but at the end of the day, we’re looking to go faster so I’m excited.”
Neita, who beat Asher-Smith to the 100m title at the UK Championships in June, finished second in her heat behind Fraser-Pryce and clocked the fourth-fastest time overall.
“[I’m] super happy, it’s always great to get the first round out of the way and just get a feel of the track and the atmosphere. I’m feeling really excited for tomorrow,” she said.
“I feel like I’m ready for this championships, me and my coach have got me into great shape, so I can really challenge here and I think that opening round shows that.”
In the men’s 100m, Zharnel Hughes missed out on a place in the final after an early stumble in his semi-final, finishing third behind eventual champion Fred Kerley and 2019 winner Christian Coleman.
