BIRMINGHAM, England (Feb 15) – Dina Asher-Smith extended her undefeated 2026 indoor campaign with a commanding victory in the women’s 60 metres at the 2026 Novuna UK Athletics Indoor Championships on Saturday (14), clocking 7.05 seconds to capture gold and set a new championship record at Arena Birmingham.
The 2019 world 200m champion, who turned 30 last December, dominated the field on the opening day of competition on Saturday, though falling just 0.02 seconds short of her personal best and British record of 7.03 set in 2023.
“I’m just really happy,” Asher-Smith told the BBC after pulling away emphatically from her rivals. “I’ve been feeling great this entire indoor season. Sometimes you just have to be patient, get race-sharp and wait for the times to come, so I was really happy to have run that today.”
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The Orpington-born sprinter’s progression through the rounds outlined her building momentum, posting 7.17 in the heats and 7.11 in the semi-finals before unleashing her championship-record performance in the final.
Asher-Smith arrived in Birmingham with an unblemished record across the indoor circuit in the United States, having captured victories at the Corky Classic in Lubbock, Texas (7.18) on Jan. 17, the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Brighton, Massachusetts (7.08) on Jan. 24, and the prestigious Millrose Games in New York (7.10) on Feb. 1.
The British sprint star is currently based at Baylor University in Texas, where she trains under coach Michael Ford alongside American sprinter Trayvon Bromell, the 2016 world indoor 60m champion and two-time world 100m bronze medallist.
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World Championships 200m silver medalist Amy Hunt finished second to Asher-Smith in 7.15 seconds, while Aleeya Sibbons claimed third place in 7.29.
“It’s been a really, really good season, super happy to head towards World Indoors again,” Hunt said, hinting that she would seek revenge at next month’s World Indoor Championships.
Asher-Smith’s dominant performance and patient approach signal a strong form and a new level of maturity heading into the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Kujawy Pomorze, Poland, scheduled for 20-22 March 2026.
