Asher-Smith eases through to 200m final at World Championships

Dina Asher-Smith underlined her favourite tag by powering through to the 200m final at the World Championships.

The 23-year-old clocked 21.16 seconds – the fastest time of the night – to comfortably win her semi-final in Doha on Tuesday.

Asher-Smith, who holds the British record in the 200m after her European Championships victory in Berlin last year, is expected to take the title on Wednesday.

Major rivals including defending champions Dafne Schippers and the Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou have pulled out injured.

New 100m world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is not running while Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare was disqualified in the heats and reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson also withdrew.

Asher-Smith is looking to add to the 100m silver she claimed on Sunday after setting a new British record of 10.83secs.

Beth Dobbin and Jodie Williams both failed to reach the final at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Meanwhile, European 400m champion, Matthew Hudson-Smith, came off the track in a wheelchair after pulling up 20m into the first heat with a hamstring issue.

The 24-year-old has suffered hamstring injury problems this year but team-mate Rabah Yousif automatically reached the semi-finals in 45.40s.

“I gave it my heart and soul. I feel like I could have set it up a little bit better but I definitely can improve for the next round,” said Yousif.

“I did enough to make it to the next round and it’s about trying to make it to the final.”

Jess Turner and Meghan Beesley also reached Wednesday’s 400m hurdles semi-finals while Nick Miller qualified for the hammer final with Zak Seddon through to the 3000m steeplechase final.

Laviai Nielsen and Emily Diamond both failed to make the 400m final.