British records fall as Proctor and Asher-Smith star

Proctor had been leading going into the final round after soaring to 7.07m to become the first Briton to jump over seven metres and smash her own national record in the process.

She followed that up with 7.01m but American Tianna Bartoletta crashed the party with a mark of 7.14m to take the title.

It was still an impressive achievement for Proctor who helped contribute to a memorable evening of action for British athletics as Dina Asher-Smith broke Kathy Cook's long standing British record from 1984 on the way to fifth in the 200m in 22.07 seconds while Tiffany Porter looked set for another major medal before stumbling off the final barrier to finish fifth in the 100m hurdles.

It takes Great Britain's tally at the Championships to four medals following golds for Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford.

And while unable to join the golden trio, Proctor was all smiles after her lifetime best performance, just 12 months on from serious injury.

"I don't know what to feel, I'm speechless but I'm happy most of all," said Proctor.

"It's my fifth champs, I finally got on the podium. It's a silver medal but I still feel like a winner.

"It's been a long ride. I was on crutches last year at this time (for four weeks after a quadricep injury at the Commonwealth Games).

"I had to learn to walk, I had to learn to run and today I just threw it all together and finally executed."

Proctor was joined in the long jump final by teammates Lorraine Ugen and Katarina Johnson-Thompson who finished fifth and 11th respectively.

There were high expectations for Asher-Smith going into the 200m final after running two personal bests in the previous rounds to qualify fastest overall.

And while she was well beaten as Dutchwoman Dafne Schippers won her first world title, clocking 21.63 seconds for the fastest 200m time in 17 years, Asher-Smith still made sure to catch the eye, breaking Cook's record as well as usurping American Allyson Felix as the quickest teenage 200m sprinter ever.

"I'm absolutely over the moon," she said. "I've run three PBs three days in a row and ended with a 22.07 which is also a British record, so I'm a really, really happy girl.

"But to be in a race when two of the girls were running 21.6, I was thinking 'I know I'm really trying my best but they're already gone so what on earth is the time going to be'."

Hurdler Porter was less joyous after admitting afterwards that she had let a medal slip through her fingers after stumbling towards the end of a race won by Jamaica's Danielle Williams in 12.57 seconds.

"It's a missed opportunity and I'm really disappointed," said the 27-year-old, who finished 0.02secs outside of a medal place.

"As a competitor at this level you know when it wasn't a clean race and when you messed up. It's ten barriers, you have to execute every one cleanly and I didn't."

Elsewhere Charlie Grice successfully booked his place in Sunday’s 1500m final after coming home fourth in the first semi-final, although teammate Chris O'Hare was run out of it in a frantic last 50m sprint.

There was not such good news for Goldie Sayers who, having struggled with a knee injury in recent weeks, was unable to progress into the final of the women's javelin – her best throw of 58.28m someway down on the required qualification mark.

© Sportsbeat 2015