It was an outstanding weekend for the athletes of Blackheath & Bromley at the Sainsbury’s UK Indoor Championships at Sheffield. Dina Asher Smith, Shannon Hylton and Serita Solomon all won gold medals with Dina and Serita gaining automatic selection for the European Indoor Championships in Prague next month. To add to the celebrations Shaunagh Brown and Cheriece Hylton picked up silvers and Zara Asante bronze. As second fastest in the World this year, Dina came into these Championships as the clear favourite to take the 60 metre title in her first year as a Senior athlete. She didn’t disappoint cruising through her heat in 7.33 seconds before stamping her authority on the competition by winning her semi final in 7.14.

She was a hundredth of a second slower in the final but still won by nearly two tenths of a second from Swansea’s Rachel Johncock. Her victory was all the more impressive as she had been suffering with a cold. The Kings College student now prepares for the European Indoors and will no doubt be in contention for a medal. She is currently second ranked in Europe behind Holland’s Dafne Schippers.

Like Dina, Serita Solomon hails from Orpington. There must be something in the water of the River Cray as she too claimed her first Senior title, having been runner up in 2014, and qualified for Prague. She won her heat in 8.15 just three hundredths outside her recent personal best.

The fireworks came in the final as she lined up against Corby’s Lucy Hatton who has run 8.06 this year, one hundredth shy of the British qualifying time for the Europeans. Serita rose to the occasion winning the race, setting a new best of 8.04 and booking her place to the Czech Republic. She is equal seventh fastest in Europe this year.

It was a marvellous weekend for the Hylton twins culminating in Shannon winning gold and Cheriece silver in the 200 metres, the first time that twins have finished in first and second at a UK indoor Championships. Both are still Juniors but they dominated their heats with Shannon winning in 23.74 and Cheriece in 23.87.

They were even quicker in the final as Shannon clocked a seasons best of 23.69 and Cheriece set a new best of 23.80. This makes them the second and fourth fastest under 20s in Europe this Winter. There is no 200 at the European Championships.

Shannon was also 6th in the 60 metres final in 7.53. Cheriece and Grace Sheppard timed 7.62 and 7.77 in the semi finals, with Vivien Olatunji running 7.78 in the heats. All four plus Dina are coached by John Blackie at Norman Park track in Bromley.

Shaunagh Brown continued her remarkable record in this competition as she finished in second place in the shot for the fourth time in the last five years. She set a seasons best of 15.55.

Zara Asante continued her excellent Winter winning the bronze medal in the triple jump. Not only did she win a National medal, the reigning Scottish outdoor champion set a personal best as she leapt 13.00. Jermaine Olasan set an indoor best of 7.38 to finish in 5th place in the long jump and it was 5th also for Dan Putnam in the 200 metres final in a time of 22.02. He ran 21.67 in qualifying. Luke Smallwood ran 48.00 in the heats of the 400.