Dina’s injury time agony
DINA ASHERSMITH’S injury curse struck again as she gave up her European sprint crown without even reaching the finish line.
A hamstring injury had forced Britain’s fastest woman to miss the Commonwealth Games where she had poster girl status.
And three weeks proved not enough to recover her fitness as she broke down early in a 100m final won by home favourite Gina Luckenkemper.
The Kent star said: “I’m frustrated. I had cramp in my calves. I feel good, I’m in good shape, there’s no tear or damage.
“But I can’t be running on two cramping calves. I wasn’t about to go and run a whole race and probably tear them.”
As Asher-Smith limped to the line team-mate Daryll Neita was almost as despondent with a bronze medal won in 11.00secs, behind Luckenkemper (10.99) and Mujinga Kambundji.
She too complained of cramping, but did not offer up the excuse of a third championship in six weeks.
It completed a disappointing night for Britain as Zharnel Hughes (inset) also lost
■ by ALEX SPINK
his men’s 100m crown in front of a 50,000 crowd in Munich’s Olympic Stadium.
Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs took gold, equalling Hughes’ championship record time of 9.95secs, with British champion Jeremiah Azu ecstatic after taking bronze in lane eight in 10.13secs.
If Azu enjoyed his bronze then Jacob Fincham-Dukes was not far behind on the joy front after taking a surprise silver in the men’s long jump.
The littleknown 25-yearold leapt to a personal best 8.06 metres in the first round – a distance only Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou could better.
After World bronze and Commonwealth silver, Matt HudsonSmith will aim to complete a sizzling summer hat-trick of medals today.
He clocked a time of 44.98 to win his 400m semi-final.
Defending champion Laura Muir powered into Friday’s 1500m final after waltzing to victory in her morning heat.
FOLLOW the multi-sport European Championships online at bbc.co.uk/sport