Dina Asher-Smith eyes Birmingham double after Team England name 72-strong athletics squad for Commonwealth Games… with Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Keely Hodgkinson set to compete on home soil
- Dina Asher-Smith will lead a strong athletics team at the Commonwealth Games
- The 26-year-old sprinter has signed to race in the 100 metres and 4x100m relay
- The team also includes defending heptathlon champion Johnson-Thompson, 29
- Olympic 800m silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson will also be in the team of 72
Dina Asher-Smith will lead a strong England athletics team at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer.
In a boost to the organisers amid doubts around a number of marquee home names, including swimmer Adam Peaty, Asher-Smith has signed to race in the 100 metres and 4x100m relay.
The team of 72 also includes defending heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Olympic 800m silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson.
Dina Asher-Smith will lead a strong England athletics team at the Commonwealth Games
There is also a place for 20-year-old phenomenon Max Burgin, who this month moved to No 4 on the UK all-time 800m rankings, behind only Sebastian Coe, Steve Cram and Peter Elliott.
Burgin’s progress had been hindered by hamstring injuries in the past two years, having come to attention by breaking age-group world records in his teens.
But his run of 1min 43.52sec has indicated he could be a medal contender at the highest levels during a summer that features the world and European championships, as well as the Commonwealths.
Burgin said: ‘I wouldn’t say there is trepidation at all about the summer. It is a positive feeling. I see this summer as a chance to really stamp my name on the sport, make my mark.’
The team of 72 also includes defending heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson