Ben Stokes produced two match-winning innings but Dina Asher-Smith made history and
Lewis Hamilton got title No 6
Stride by stride, second by second, Dina Asher-Smith had a 2019 for the ages. To win one world athletics medal would have been staggering enough. To become the first Briton to leave with three from the same championships was a monumental statement of intent. Best of all was her 200m gold in 21.88sec, a time so fast it smashed her national record and made her the first
British woman to win a global sprint title. Further silvers in the 100m and 4x100m highlighted the potential for more glory at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. No wonder Sebastian Coe has predicted she will be the British poster child of the Games. Incidentally there are 18 track and field athletes among the roll call of Spoty winners – 11 more than the next closest sport, Formula One. Asher-Smith or her team-mate Katarina Johnson‑Thompson would be a worthy addition to the honours board. The danger is that the athletics vote ends up being split. Sean Ingle