British sprinter wins star-studded duel, while Laura Muir also gives home crowd plenty to cheer in Diamond League opener

As statements of intent go, Dina Asher-Smith could barely have been more emphatic as she produced a storming performance to win a star-studded women’s 100m at the Müller Grand Prix Gateshead.

In the pre-event press conference the 200m world champion and world 100m silver medallist had made a point of highlighting how much stronger she had felt thanks to her intensive winter training regime, and the fruits of her labour were very much in evidence as she looked in complete control throughout the opening Diamond League meeting of the year.

The wet and windy conditions meant there was never any danger of any records coming under threat, but there was more than a touch of class to the 11.35 Asher-Smith clocked into a stiff headwind of -3.1 m/s which saw off American world leader Sha’Carri Richardson (11.44), world bronze medallist Marie-Josée Talou (11.48) and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (11.51).

“I was really happy to start my 100m season with a win in what were far from ideal conditions,” smiled Asher-Smith. “When you come to a Diamond League the most important thing to do is to run a good race and keep a cool head. It’s really good practice for staying focused and staying in the moment.

“The only way to get race fit is to race against the best in the world. It’s the only way to know what to work on, relative to the best women in the world, so these are the kind of races you want to be in.”

Asher-Smith’s profile will only continue to rise as the Tokyo Olympics edge ever closer and another of Britain’s leading ladies, Laura Muir, also impressed thanks to the manner of her 1500m victory which brought proceedings to a close.

The European champion and British record-holder bided her time but hit the front at the bell and pressed the accelerator, coming home in 4:03.73 and four seconds ahead of Morocco’s Rababe Arafi.

Katie Snowden is another athlete in excellent form and she came third in 4:08.92, while Eilish McColgan faded to sixth and 4:10.48, with Adelle Tracey eighth in a season’s best 4:10.93.

“Today wasn’t about times, it was about getting out there and getting a win in front of a home crowd,” said Muir, who had enjoyed the cheers of the 2000 fans allowed to attend. “I’m really, really pleased, I just wanted to sit in and use my strength over the last half, which I did. I’ll have to watch the race back but it went really well.”

The men’s 1500m featured another of the meeting’s star attractions in the form of Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who appeared to be enjoying the rain, and the European champion did what was expected of him as he opened his outdoor season with victory in a time of 3:36.27, followed by the Australian duo of Ollie Hoare (3:36.58) and Stewart McSweyn (3:37.72).

Pole vault world record-holder Mondo Duplantis had also been heavily involved in the event build-up but the Swede had to settle for second place as he was only able to clear 5.55m in the treacherous conditions. Victory instead went to American world champion Sam Kendricks thanks to his fifth-round 5.74m, with British champion and record-holder Harry Coppell third following a season’s best of 5.45m.

Cindy Sember was another of the home athletes to enjoy finishing first in front of the Gateshead crowd as she clocked a composed 13.28 into a -3.9 headwind to defeat Hungarian Luka Kozák’s 13.37. Italy’s Luminosa Bogliolo was third in 13.45 while Sember’s sister Tiffany Porter was fourth in 13.50.

It was also tough going for the competitors in the women’s 400m hurdles, a contest which was won by Denmark’s Sara Slott Petersen 56.32 ahead of Briton Jessica Turner’s 56.56 and Jamaican Janieve Russell’s 57.16.

Another of the high-profile home athletes, Adam Gemili, was in racing action for the first time this year and finished sixth in the 200m. The World Championships fourth placer has battled injury problems but declared himself happy to be healthy and competing again as he clocked 21.18. Gemili’s American training partner Kenny Bednarek took victory in 20.33 ahead of Canada’s Aaron Brown (20.79) and André de Grasse (20.85).

American Kendall Ellis clocked 51.86 to win the women’s 400m, with Commonwealth champion Stephenie Ann-McPherson second in 51.96 and Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands third in a season’s best 52.03.

Mohamed Katir’s personal best of 13:08.52 saw the Spaniard win a brilliant 5000m tussle with Nicholas Kimeli, the Kenyan finishing in 13:10.11 as his compatriot Michael Kibet came home almost 10 seconds back. Andrew Butchart was the leading Briton as he finished sixth with 13:23.73.

There was also a tight battle in the men’s 3000m steeplechase which was won by Hillary Bor. The American took victory in 8:30.20 ahead of Kenyan Leonard Bett’s 8:31.52 as Frenchman Djilali Bedrani clocked 8:32.04.

Britain’s Mark Pearce had the race of his life as he clocked a PB of 8:32.65 to finish fourth while Phil Norman, who had run a PB of 8:20.12 in Ostrava in midweek, was eighth in 8:35.31.

Britain’s Emily Borthwick was awarded with the performance of the day as she leapt to a personal best clearance of 1.91m when finishing second in what was an intriguing high jump contest.

Poland’s Kamila Licwinko took first place on countback, while Borthwick went over at the third time of asking and almost managed 1.94m. Her compatriot Morgan Lake was third in 1.88m, the same height managed by fourth-placed Mariya Lasitskene.

There was season’s best from British champion Naomi Ogbeta as she took third place in the triple jump. She had leapt out to 14.29m in the second round to ensure her place in the top three and the opportunity to tackle the decisive sixth jump. Jamaican world champion Shanieka Ricketts won that with 14.29m, while Portuguese Patricia Mamona managed 13.62m and Ogbeta 13.32m.

Auriol Dongmo went furthest with the decisive sixth-round throw in the women’s shot put, having outshone the competition up to that point as the only athlete to go beyond 19 metres with a fourth-round 19.08m. Her final-round 18.16m saw off the closing effort of Jamaican Danniel Thomas-Dodd (18.12m) and American Maggie Ewen (16.96m).

Briton Sophie McKinna produced a season’s best of 18.36m to take fourth.

In the men’s long jump Italian Filippo Randazzo saved his best for last with a sixth-round 8.11m which brought victory with it. Spain’s Eusebio Caceres (8.04m) and Jamaican Tajay Gayle (7.91m), completed the top three.

Poland’s Marcin Krukowski won the javelin with his fourth-round effort of 82.61m, which was also a season’s best, as he finished well clear of Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott’s 77.78m. Sweden’s Kim Amb was third in 76.96m.

The evening’s programme had begun with a series of mixed classification para athletics sprints which provided an opportunity for some of Britain’s leading contenders to fine tune their preparations ahead of the upcoming European Championships.

Sophie Hahn (T38) was first in the women’s 100m in 13.31 (-3.1), with Esme O’Connell (T20) following in 13.82 and Faye Olszowka (T20) third in 13.96.

Men’s 100m victory went to Thomas Young (T38) in 11.71 (-4.0 m/s), with Zac Shaw (T12) clocking 11.82 and Ola Abidogun (T47) 11.87.

In the women’s 200m event Ali Smith (T38) won in 28.86 (-3.5 m/s), with Libby Clegg (T11) second in 30.07 and Victoria Baskett (T44) third in 30.28.

Columba Blango (T20) took the men’s 200m honours in 23.19 (-2.5) ahead of Ethan Kirby (T20) in 24.00 and Shaun Burrows (T38) 24.37.