World Athletics Championships schedule today: Dina Asher-Smith goes for gold as Muir and KJT start campaigns

Asher-Smith is one step away from British sprinting immortality
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Great Britain could win their first gold medal of the 2019 Athletics World Championships in Doha as Dina Asher-Smith goes in one of three finals on day six.

Every morning during the championships, Standard Sport will be bringing you a preview of the day's action.

Asher-Smith under new kind of pressure

What a difference a few days (and an extra hundred metres) makes. Dina Asher-Smith began these championships as the young pretender, going where no British woman had ever gone before in first making and then medalling in a world 100m final.

Less than 24 hours later, however she began her 200m campaign from a very different position. While her first global medal put the final seal on her ascension to the very highest realms of world class sprinting, it was a series of dropouts and high-profile casualties in the longer sprint that put her in the unfamiliar position of being a near-banker favourite.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo was never going to be here, Dafne Schippers wanted to be but was denied by injury, while Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Marie-Josee Ta Lou, the other two women to medal in the 100m, withdrew after those exertions.

2019 World Athletics Championships: Day five

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Blessing Okagbare had already been disqualified once because of an admin error, and then reinstated, when she was disqualified again. Two dominant round performances from Asher-Smith, coupled with Elaine Thompson adding her name to the list of absentees, have only added to the expectation.

After finishing fourth in the men’s equivalent last night, Adam Gemili spoke of it being a huge opportunity missed. Make no mistake about it, no matter how good the still-improving Asher-Smith goes on to become, she may never have a clearer run at gold.

KJT resumes rivalry with Thiam – can she make it less one-sided?

The women’s heptathlon gets underway on day six, and Great Britain’s Katarina-Johnson Thompson will have to topple the best all-round female athlete on the planet if she is to take her first global outdoor title.

Belgium’s Nafi Thiam is the defending world and Olympic champion, and has been in phenomenal shape in some of her strongest events this year. Prior to Monday night’s high jump final, she was ranked second in the world in that event, while her huge 6.86m long jump PB set in August would likely contend for an individual medal here, too.

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However, both women have only completed one heptathlon this season, and, on those efforts, just six points separate them at the top of the world rankings. There are some doubts over an elbow injury for Thiam – she hasn’t thrown in competition since mid-June because of it – so if Johnson-Thompson can avoid the kind of mishaps that have plagued her past two world championships, and keep the pressure on heading into day two, then perhaps this may be closer than many people think.

What shape is Muir in?

Completing the trio of Britain’s leading female lights in action on day six, Laura Muir will make here return from injury in the 1500m heats.

The Scot has not raced since the London Diamond League in July because of a calf injury, so we don’t quite know what kind of shape she is in, but she says she is not worried by her lack of competitive action.

With defending champion Faith Kipyegon similarly lightly-raced in her first year back after having a baby, and Genzebe Dibaba missing, if Muir is back to her best, she has a huge chance of a medal.

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The overwhelming favourite, though, will be Sifan Hassan, who comes in under a cloud after yesterday’s revelations about Alberto Salazar, but is seeking an unprecedented 1500m/10,000m double after breaking the world mile record earlier this year.

And the rest…

The men’s multi-event contest also gets up and running today, with French world record-holder Kevin Mayer coming in as defending champion.

The 27-year-old has already made headlines this week after brandishing the championships ‘a disaster’ over empty stadiums and scorching temperatures, but will be keen to do the talking with his performances inside the Khalifa International Stadium. He is yet to complete a full decathlon this year, but has set PBs in the 110m hurdles and shot put, so looks in good nick.

Britain’s Nick Miller goes into the men’s hammer final with an outside medal chance. The Commonwealth champion finished sixth in London two years ago,and is ranked fifth in the world this year of those on tonight’s startlist. He is also one of only three men in the field to have ever thrown beyond 80 metres.

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