adminfastest man in British history.
His time, shattering his previous best of 10.03, elevates him from 22nd to fourth in this year’s world 100m rankings behind Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell and Justin Gatlin and, astonishingly, ahead of Bolt, whose best time this season is 9.94.
Suddenly, after years of waiting, Britain now has a potential global medallist to challenge the American-Jamaican domination of the sprint scene.
The only British athlete to run quicker is 1992 Olympic champion Linford Christie, whose UK record of 9.87 has stood for 20 years. On the evidence of Saturday, it may not last much longer.
Dasaolu, who becomes only the fourth Briton to run sub-10 after Christie, Dwain Chambers and Jason Gardner, set his history-making time in his semi-final at the Sainsbury’s British Championships and Trials, and the only pity was that he was forced to pull out of the final as a precaution after feeling some cramp in his left calf.
“You can’t be too greedy,” Dasaolu said with a shrug. “I’ve just knocked a metre off my personal best. I am just happy to run 9.91 at the moment. My coach and I want to save my best until the World Championships.”
With Dasaolu assured of discretionary selection for next month’s World Championships in Moscow, his withdrawal left the door open for Chambers to claim the automatic qualifying spot by winning the final in 10.03.
At 25, Dasaolu is 10 years Chambers’s junior and, excitingly for UK Athletics, is improving with every race he runs. In the seven meetings he has competed in indoors and outdoors this year, he has recorded lifetime bests in six of them.
Who knows where his form will take him when he competes against the biggest names in the sport on the world stage in Russia. — The Telegraph.
Online Reporter