New UK Indoor 60m sprint champions crowned

Daryll Neita and Reece Prescod took gold in the blue-riband events

Reece Prescod, centre left, ran his fastest time of the year to win the men’s 60 metre UK Indoor Championship title (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)

Daryll Neita and Reece Prescod were both crowned 60m sprint champions at the UK Indoor Championships in Birmingham.

Neita maintained her fine start to the season by winning in 7.17 seconds ahead of Asha Philip and Scotland’s Alisha Rees.

Prescod ran 6.54 seconds, his fastest time of the year, to beat Jeremiah Azu and Eugene Amo-Dadzie.

Both Neita and Prescod had both recorded personal bests with respective 60m wins in Berlin last week and produced two more impressive performances at the Utilita Arena.

Neita said: “I came here to get the gold and run some decent times, which I think I did today.

“It was good to practice what I will do at the Europeans, three rounds in one day and make sure I get my body ready. I feel really good. Expect fast times.”

Fellow Londoner Prescod added: “I ran a personal best this year and came out a national champion.

“It has been a really good day at the office. First run was cool, second run had a bit more fire and I brought a bit more heat in the finals.”

The top two athletes in each event in Birmingham will be selected for next month’s European Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

David King and Cindy Sember won gold in the 60m hurdles. King ran 7.62secs for his third British indoor title, while Sember edged out Marli Jessop and Alicia Barrett in a time of 8.10secs.

Charlie Myers jumped 5.05 metres to win the men’s pole vault title and Jade Ive claimed victory in the women’s event by clearing 4.35m.

Reynold Banigo produced a winning leap of 7.85m to equal his personal best and claim the men’s long jump title.

Mary Elcock won the women’s triple jump. Her best jump of 12.71m was matched by Lily Hulland, but Elcock clinched gold on countback.

Elcock said: “This is my first indoor champs and I have only been doing triple jump for a year, so it’s been ‘jumping’ in the deep end!”