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Jack Green, Adam Gemili, Dina Asher-Smith, Shannon Hylton, Tom Bosworth in action at British Athletics Championships

Hurdler Jack Green booked his place at his second World Championships after being crowned British Champion for the first time on Sunday.

The 25-year-old Shepway star cruised to victory in Saturday afternoon's heats of the 400m hurdles at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham to book a place in Sunday afternoon's final.

Maidstone-born Green ran a controlled race before streaking away after the final barrier to stop the clock in a time of 49.34secs, a third of a second ahead of runner-up Jacob Paul with defending champion Seb Rodger nearly a second behind in third.

Jack Green
Jack Green

Green reached the semi-finals at the World Championships in his breakout season of 2011 and did likewise at the Olympics in London the following summer and last year in Rio.

It remains to be seen whether Dartford sprinter Adam Gemili will join Green in the Great Britain & Northern Ireland squad for the Championships, back at the Olympic Stadium where he made his international breakthrough in 2012.

Gemili pulled out of Saturday's 100m amid concerns over an apparently right thigh injury he had been nursing for more than a month, but though he won his 200m heat in 20.79secs to breeze into the final, he was unable to repeat the feat in the final.

The former Dartford Grammar School for Boys pupil trailed home in sixth in 20.97secs - a full second outside his PB - with Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Danny Talbot claiming the two automatic qualification spots for London.

It leaves Gemili - a former European 200m champion who was fourth in the event at the Rio Olympics last summer - vying with the likes of Zharnel Hughes - who finished fourth - for a wildcard call-up from selectors.

Adam Gemili
Adam Gemili

Gemili's Blackheath & Bromley AC teammate Shannon Hylton will be at London in August after a stunning win in the women's 200m.

The 20-year-old equalled her lifetime best with a storming run of 22.94secs to claim victory from Bianca Williams (23.05secs).

Hylton said: "I’m so thrilled – I knew I had some really strong girls outside me so I had to get out well.

"When I got to the straight I started to tense up but I pushed on through to the line. The conditions felt quite still, which helped, and I’m only coming back from a tough year of injury in 2016 where things didn’t quite go so well, so to bounce back in this manner is so pleasing.”

Shannon Hylton and Dina Asher-Smith posing with Jack Green in 2013.
Shannon Hylton and Dina Asher-Smith posing with Jack Green in 2013.

Hylton's friend and training partner Dina Asher-Smith, rekindled hopes of a wildcard for the World Championships by showcasing her fitness in the 100m final.

The British record holder over 100m and 200m broke a bone in her foot in February but managed to run a time of 11.56secs for sixth place to show selectors that she is on the road to recovery and she will hope to further prove her fitness by the selectors' deadline for wildcards of July 25.

Race-walker Tom Bosworth stormed to the British 5,000m title, breaking the British record in the process.

Stopping the clock at 18.43.28 the Tonbridge AC ace chopped more than 15 seconds off his old record set two years ago.

Bosworth has already qualified for London 2017 in the 20km event and he said: "No Brit had ever gone inside 19 minutes, so to get two in one race is pretty special going into London.

"I’ve felt a lot of pressure this year to back up my result from Rio, so to go 17 seconds quicker than I did last year is really exciting.”

Tom Bosworth. Picture: Ian Byers
Tom Bosworth. Picture: Ian Byers
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