Veronica Campbell-Brown finishes 200m race in same lane as Briton's Margaret Adeoye, but is not disqualified

The Jamaican inexplicably drifted across but avoided any punishment in the World Championships heat in Beijing

Veronica Campbell-Brown moves into the same lane as Margaret Adeoye (GETTY IMAGES)

British sprinter Margaret Adeoye had a bit of a surprise when she turned the corner onto the home straight in her 200m heat at the World Championships in Beijing.

As she came round the bend, she found someone else was in her lane.

Jamaican two-time Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, who missed the last World Championships following a failed drugs test, inexplicably drifted into the Briton's lane on the bend.

Adeoye looked perplexed as she chased the eventual winner of the heat to the line.

Despite the bizarre scenes at the Bird's Nest stadium, Adeoye saw the benefits.

"She helped me get to the finish line so I'm not complaining," said the 30-year-old.

"That's not happened to me before. I felt a bit rusty but I wanted to make sure I got through."

What's with women's 200m runners changing lanes this season? #VCB #LaneSwitch #Beijing2015 pic.twitter.com/6GxzAEUbqg

— Jumping-The-Gun.com (@Jumping_The_Gun) August 26, 2015

Despite the huge error, Campbell-Brown was not punished. Rules state that runners are only punished for running in an outer lane if another athlete is obstructed. It was deemed that because Adeoye was well behind, the mishap had caused no harm.

In one of the other 200m heats, Dina Asher-Smith laid down the gauntlet, with Britain's fastest ever woman setting a new personal best.

Having broken Montell Douglas' seven-year 100m record earlier in the year, the 19-year-old took it down to 10.99 seconds at last month's Anniversary Games in London.

Asher-Smith is not doubling up in Beijing, though, and is focusing on half-lap success a year out from the Olympics.

The teenager's impressive display in the 200m heats seems to justify that decision as she crossed the line in 22.22 secs, setting a personal best despite clearly easing up towards the end.

"I'm really, really happy," Asher-Smith told the BBC. "I didn't expect to run a PB in the heat.

"I did feel relaxed which is why I was quite surprised with the time.

"The three who won gold have inspired us. I just have to see how the next round goes."

Additional reporting by PA