Dina Asher-Smith vowed to hit back at the Olympics after battling a mystery problem at the World Championships.

The 2019 200m champion missed out on the podium on Friday night in Budapest after coming seventh as Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson stormed to a title defence.

Jackson ran the second best time in history to win in 21.41 seconds ahead of the USA’s Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson, before Noah Lyles defended his 200m title.

Asher-Smith, who was also beaten by fifth-placed British team-mate Daryll Neita, admitted she suffered an issue in the 100m semi-final on Sunday but still feels it gives her belief ahead of next year’s Paris Olympics.

She said: “I was going great and then I just couldn’t feel anything below my waist.

“That’s why I was able to go and run the (100m) final because I wasn’t in pain but neurally I didn’t have any control. I was still dealing with that.

“It was about still coming back and just making everything work. I’m grateful to have got through it all in one piece after just not being able to feel from here (waist) downwards during that 100m.

“It was such a shame because I really was on the way to something quite good.

“But I think it gave me quite a bit of self-confidence, how I was running going into it and how I felt and despite the fact that I got halfway through the 100m (and then could not feel her legs).

“I’m taking a lot from that and pushing into Paris that I can be very much on top of the podium.”

Neita set a personal best of 22.21s in the semi-final and then broke it again to clock 22.16s in her first global 200m final.

She said: “I performed well. My last final was Tokyo (Olympics, 100m) when I came last. I came fifth in a very fast final, I know I can perform. I’ve got time to get better. I ran a PB and yesterday so I am raising my game.”

Lyles completed his double in Hungary to prove he is ready to claim Usain Bolt’s sprint king crown going into the Olympics.

The American defended his 200m title in 19.52 seconds ahead of team-mate Erriyon Knighton and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana as Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes finished fourth in 20.02s.

It came after Lyles won the 100m in Budapest on Sunday to become the first man to win both sprints at the worlds since Bolt in 2015.

“It is a great feeling to know I did something not a lot of people have done,” he said. “I came out and showed it. I am double champion. Usain Bolt has done it and him saying to me that he sees what I am doing and he respects it, it is amazing.”

Hughes refused to be downbeat after his fourth place, having won 100m bronze on Sunday.

He said: “No, there’s nothing to be disappointed about. I gave it my best and got fourth. That’s nothing to be disappointed about. Obviously I wanted to be on the podium but I’m still happy.

“You saw how close I was. Listen, with a better lane, I would have been on the podium, honestly.”

He will join the 4x100m relay team for Saturday’s final after they qualified third in their heat in 38.01s.

Preparation was interrupted after Reece Prescod withdrew from the squad on the eve of the Championships and Eugene Amo-Dadzie needed to pull them back from fourth to third on the final leg.

He said: “It’s always nice to run men down, put guys on notice. I’m confident, I’m going to back myself and I trust these guys to get he baton in my hand. It was fun. It was a surreal boyhood dream.”

The women’s team of Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and  Annie Tagoe qualified for the final fifth fastest in 42.33s but Neita and Asher-Smith are due to run on Saturday night to boost their medal hopes.

Dina Asher-Smith became the first British woman to break the 11-second barrier in the 100 metres on this day in 2015.

At the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games, the then 19-year-old clocked a time of 10.99 seconds in her heat at London’s Olympic Stadium whilst also trimming 0.03 seconds from her own British record.

Even though Asher-Smith finished in fourth place behind Dafne Schippers in the final having run a time of 11.06, it did not overshadow her earlier achievement.

Asher-Smith said: “I’m in the 10 seconds now so I’m absolutely over the moon.

“I felt like I was in good shape, but feeling in good shape and then doing it are two very different things.

“When I crossed the line and saw the time I was beaming. I’m really, really happy. I was like, ‘What on earth have I just run?'”

The record for Asher-Smith launched her as a force on the world stage.

Winning Olympic bronze in the 4x100m relay in Rio in 2016, she also went on to complete a sprint double and anchored the sprint relay squad to win gold at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin.

Asher-Smith went on the achieve bigger things at the 2019 World Championships where she claimed silver in the 100 metres with a time of 10.83, and took the 200m title in 21.88, both British records.

Janieve Russell, Natoya Goule-Toppin and Shericka Jackson made the podium in their respective events at the London Diamond League meeting on Sunday.

In what was the last Diamond League meet before the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest next month, Femke Bol produced the performance of the day with a record-break run in the 400m hurdles and Noah Lyles emerged victorious from stern battle with Letsile Tebogo in the 200m.

Russell continued her solid form this season after coming in second in the 400m hurdles at the London Diamond League on Sunday. However, her performance was overshadowed by the massive lifetime best performance of Bol of the Netherlands.

Russell, who won at the Jamaican trials earlier this month, clocked in a smart time of 53.75 but she was more than two seconds behind Bol, who joined the pantheon of two women who have run the event in under 52 seconds.

The European champion smashed her previous best of 52.03 when she stormed across the finish line in a world-leading 51.45. Only world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Dalilah Mohammed have run faster.

The world-leading time was also an Area Record, Diamond League record and National Record.

Shamier Little of the United States was third in 53.76 with Rushell Clayton fourth in a blanket finish where 0.02s separated second, third and fourth.

Goule-Toppin has been consistently fast over 800m this season and she showed that again Sunday with a new season’s best time of 1:57.61 for a second place finish in the 800m. She managed to hold off Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi for set a new national record of 1:57.62 in finishing in third place.

Jemma Reekie of Great Britain won the keenly contested event in a new meet record of 1:57.30, a season’s best for the 25-year-old Briton.

An obviously fatigued Shericka Jackson, running her third race in a week, finished third in the 100m dash in which Marie Josee Ta Lou stormed to a new meet record of 10.75. Dina Asher-Smith took the runner-up spot in 10.85 with Jackson laboring through the line in 10.94 for third.

The men’s 200m was electrifying with Lyles just managing to hold of Letsile Tebogo to win in a new meet record and world-leading time of 19.47. Tebogo ran a brand new personal best of 19.50 for second place. It was a new lifetime best and African Area record for the youngster. In third was Zharnel Hughes who ran a new British record of 19.73.

Holloway, the two-time defending world champion, sped to a 13.01 clocking to win the 110m hurdles. Japan’s Shunsuke Izumiya was close behind in 13.06 while Jamal Britt of the USA crossing in 13.25 to edge out Olympic champion Hansle Parchment (13.26) for third place.

World-record holder Wayde van Niekerk won a close battle in the 400m over Bryce Deadmon and Vernon Norwood. The South African clocked 44.36 to edge Deadmon who came in second in 44.40 with Norwood not far behind in 44.46 for third place.

Daryll Neita out-shone her compatriot Dina Asher-Smith to claim victory in the women’s 200 metres at the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm.

Defying poor weather conditions in the Swedish capital, Neita ran a superb bend from lane seven to take first place in a time of 22.50 seconds, with Asher-Smith second in 22.58 seconds.

Neita’s win – her first individual triumph in the competition – continues an intriguing rivalry heading into next week’s British Championships in Manchester.

In the women’s 800 metres, Laura Muir was forced to settle for sixth place, one place behind her compatriot Melissa Courtney-Bryant.

In the men’s 100 metres, Britain’s Reece Prescod recorded a time of 10.14 seconds to take second place behind winner Akani Simbine of South Africa in 10.03 seconds.

World Women’s 200m champion Shericka Jackson, keen to improve the first 30 metres of her 100m race, will line up against two of the year’s fastest women at the Birmingham World Indoor Final on Saturday.

Jackson, 28, boasts a personal best of 7.04, a time she ran in the final of the World Indoor Championships in Serbia in March 2022. However, she enters Saturday’s race having a pedestrian season-best 7.34 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston on February 4.

Her time is significantly slower than the 7.04 run by Dina Asher Smith at the Init Indoor Meeting in Germany on January 27.

Asher-Smith’s compatriot Daryll Neita, the recently crowned British Indoor champion, has also run much faster this season having clocked 7.05 at the ISTAF Indoor Meeting in Berlin on February 10.

Jackson will be hoping for a much improved performance as she gears up for the outdoor season which involves another World Championships in Budapest in August.

Bahamian Olympic Champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo was handed a rare defeat to begin the 2022 Diamond League season after finishing behind both the Dominica Republic’s Marileidy Paulino and Jamaica’s Stephenie-Ann Mcpherson in the women’s 400m.

At the Doha meeting, it was the Olympic silver medalist Paulino who dominated proceedings.  Running from an inside lane, the Dominican tracked Miller-Uibo well before coming off the curve with a lead.  The typically strong-finishing Miller-Uibo not only failed to make up ground on Paulino but was overtaken near the line by McPherson who nabbed second spot.

Paulino took the top spot with a time of 51.20, followed by McPherson, second in 51.69, and Miller-Uibo third in 51.84.  Barbados’ Sada Williams was next, and she finished ahead of another Jamaican, Candice McLeod.

In the meantime, the women’s 200m was won by the United States’ Gabrielle Thomas who took top spot after outbattling Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson down the stretch to stop the clock at 21.98, ahead of Jackson’s 22.07.  Great Britain’s Dina Asher was third in 22.37.

In other events, Grenadian Anderson Peters dominated the men’s javelin to take top spot with a throw of 93.07, while Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts captured the women’s long jump.

Elaine Thompson-Herah was the only Caribbean athlete to win on the final day of the Diamond League season in Zurich on Thursday but a few others came very close.

As she looks forward to what could be her final race this season on the final day of the Diamond League season in Zurich on Thursday, double, double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah said she kind of surprised herself with the incredible success she has experienced this year.

Since she won her first sprint double in 2016, the first woman to do so since Florence Griffith-Joyner at the Seoul Games in 1988, Thompson-Herah failed to win a medal at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships. However, at the Toyko 2020 Olympics this past summer, Thompson-Herah became the first woman in Olympic history to win back-to-back sprint doubles.

She set a new Olympic record of 10.51 in the 100m and set a lifetime best of 21.53 to win the 200m titles. She added a third gold medal as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that set a new national record of 41.02, the third-fastest time in history.

Weeks later she won the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic in 10.54, the second-fastest time ever run and then followed up with 10.64 to finish second to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in Lausanne and then 10.72 in Paris.

Speaking at a press conference this morning before she takes to the track on Thursday, the history-making Olympic champion said she has not yet had time to take it all in.

“It hasn’t sunk it as yet. I think because I knew I had a long season I don’t want to get too carried away, too excited and the focus is still continuing the season for next year and the years to come. After the season ends I can say hurrah, hooray and I watch back my videos and see what I have done and say yes, I did it,” she said.

“Being the fastest woman alive, I think I still haven’t known what I have done yet. Because I have put in all the work and I have achieved, it is not something I never expect myself to do but my expectations were not high but I think I surprised myself this entire season with everything that I have done so far.”

On Thursday, Thompson-Herah will line up against Dina Asher-Smith, Natasha Morrison, Javianne Oliver, Daryll Neita, Marie Jose Ta Lou and the Swiss pair of Ajla Del Ponte and Mujinga Kambundji in the 100m.

Eighteen-year-old Christine Mboma topped a talented field of women over 200m at the Diamond League meeting in Brussels on Friday when Natoya Goule closed out the action on the track by winning the 800m.

The marquee event, however, was the 200m and it lived up to expectations.

The Namibian, the Olympic silver medalist and World U20 champion, running on from behind, surged past Shericka Jackson with 30m to go and won in 21.84. Jackson was again under 22 seconds, clocking 21.95 while Dina Asher-Smith finished third in a season-best 22.03.

The much-talked-about Sha’Carri Richardson was never a factor. She trailed off the curve and was passed down the stretch by Mboma and Asher-Smith to finish fourth in 22.45.

Mboma was elated at getting her first Diamond League win.

“I was really excited to run here in Brussels. It was my first Diamond League experience and to be able to win in such a strong field is great,” she said.

“It has been a very tough and busy season with the Olympics and the World junior championships, but I'm still in good shape. I ran almost a personal best today, so that pleases me. I still have one race to go in Zurich and after that, I will take some rest.”

Jackson, meantime, was disappointed at not winning enjoyed the competition.

“I´m happy with my race but I really wanted to win today,” she said.

“I had a good start so I´m happy with that but there´s still room for improvement. I was able to accelerate towards the end but couldn´t get the win. I loved to race here and the feeling was good.”

Similarly, Asher-Smith was happy with her season-best.

“I´m so happy with my race! I ran a season's best and had a good feeling. It felt so good to be here and to be able to run this fast,” said the Brit, who was unable to compete in the 200m because of a hamstring injury.

“I worked so hard after my injury to return and feel strong again. I really love to run here in Brussels. I still have a few races to go so I hope I can improve myself and feel good. The relaxed feeling is back so I´m very happy with that.”

Goule, a finalist at the Tokyo Olympics, ran a strategic race behind the pacemaker but then assumed the lead with 300m to go.

She would hold that lead until the end to win her first Diamond League race in 1:58.09, holding off Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, who clocked 1:58.16 for second place. Jemma Reekie also of Great Britain was third in 1:58.77.

´I’m extremely happy with my win today! I´m just so excited and happy to win my first Diamond League race,” she said.

“I have to thank God and my coach for believing in me. To race here today, especially against these girls. They are all so strong. I have a lot of respect for Keely Hodgkinson. She´s so good and humble, a very good athlete and still so young. So I´m very happy I could still sprint and take the win. The big crowd today definitely helped with that. You just feel everyone´s excitement for today. I hope I can win in Zurich as well but it will be hard.”

Earlier, Megan Tapper was third in the 100m hurdles but there was misfortune for Danielle Williams, who appeared to suffer an injury and limped across the line in eighth. She was eventually disqualified.

Tapper, the Olympic bronze medalist, got off to a fast start but was eventually caught by Tobi Amusan and Nadine Visser, who crossed the line together and were credited with 12.69. Tapper clocked 12.77 for her second podium finish in the Diamond League this season.

There was no Karsten Warholm or Rai Benjamin in the 400m hurdles but it was no less dramatic as Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos and the British Virgin Islands’ Kyron McMaster engaged in a stirring battle that the latter looked like winning after seven hurdles.

However, the Brazilian eased into the lead over the final hurdle and held it to win in 48.24. McMaster finished second in 48.31.

Jaheel Hyde was in position to finish on the podium but seemed to run out of steam down the stretch and was unable to hold off a fast-finishing Yasmani Copello of Turkey, who took third in 48.45. Hyde had to settle for fourth in 48.91.

The men’s 400m was won by American Michael Cherry in a new personal best and meet record 44.03 leaving Kirani James (44.51) and Isaac Makwala (44.83) in his wake.

After suffering her first defeat of the season, the USA’s Sha Carri Richardson is already putting it behind her and focusing on the future, vowing to always be competitive.

Richardson, who went into Gateshead with the three fastest times in the 100m this season – 10.72, 10.74 and 10.77 – was collared by Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, who sped to victory in 11.35s in rainy, windy and cold conditions.

The headwind was measured at -3.1m/s. The American was well back in 11.44s. She was just ahead of Marie Jose Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast who clocked in at 11.48. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who like Asher-Smith, was running her first 100m of the season, clocked 11.51s for fourth.

Afterwards, a defiant Richardson said: “I'm happy with my race. I'm definitely proud that I was able to execute and now I know what I need to go back and work on and what I need to get better at.

“This won't be the last time that I'm going to line up against these ladies and I want to let the world know and let the ladies know that I'm here to compete just as well as they've done for many years. I'm here to show them what I'm good at. I'm definitely looking forward to running in some sunshine next week in Doha!”

Meanwhile, the victor was ecstatic about the outcome.

“I feel really good. Conditions were far from ideal for sprinting but the most important thing is to come away with a good result and a win and I was very happy to do that. I think all in all today was more of an experience but the only thing that can indicate Tokyo is the Olympic final itself,” she said.

“I want to stay focused, do well and get better from here.”

It is the clash the world has been waiting for and it comes May 23 at the Müller Grand Prix in Gateshead, the first Wanda Diamond League meeting this year.