by Stuart Weir
Stuart Weir provides a column from most meets on British performances. Here is Stuart’s column on Lausanne!
Brits in Lausanne
The Paris Olympics were disappointing for Dina Asher-Smith. She failed to reach the final of the 100m and came fourth in the 200m, just missing a medal. She ran arguably her best race of the year in Lausanne, winning the 100m in 10.88. Afterward, she said, “It’s always great to be in Switzerland, and the Swiss crowd is so warm and welcoming. After the Olympics, I took some time to refocus, and now I’m just enjoying running, feeling fit and injury-free. I’m excited to push on to the next two meets in Silesia and Zurich, where the track and atmosphere are amazing. Plus, there’s always chocolate”. Darryl Neita was seventh.
Dina’s work still needed to be finished as she was part of the GB women’s Sprint relay team, which won in 42.03. The team, which included two changes from the Paris silver medallists, commented: “The crowd was insane, and the noise really carried us. From the moment the gun went off, we knew it was on. Dina tore it up on the first leg, and we kept the momentum going. Our handovers were spot on, and everything clicked perfectly. We’re so happy with the win – How could we not be. Next up, we were focused on more wins and heading to Tokyo 2025. For now, maybe some ice cream to celebrate!”
So now we know the secret of GB sprinting – chocolate and ice cream.
The women’s 800m was a cracker, with the first nine athletes going sub 2m. Mary Moraa won in 1:57.91 from Georgia Bell (1:58.53) and Jemma Reekie (1:58.73). Reekie said afterward: “The race was a bit rusty, and I ran slower than I wanted, but it was the first one after Paris, so it would always be the hardest. I´ll focus on recovery and getting back to training quickly. It was tough, but I’m happy to be back. I’m aiming to get closer to my personal best from London as the season wraps up, and I’m excited for what’s ahead”. What a performance by Georgia Bell to follow medals in World Indoors and Olympics. Jenny Meadows commented on Twitter: “Scrappy race, but Georgia found a way.”
Matt Hudson-Smith won the 400 in 43.96, with Charlie Dobson fifth in 44.53.
George Mills, who ran 1500 and 5k in Paris, was 13th in the Lausanne 1500 in 3:36.80.
