British 100m and 200m champion adds 60m title to her collection ahead of meeting with Dina Asher-Smith, while Reece Prescod also impresses on day one of the national indoor championships

Their winning times might not have been quite as blistering as recent headline-grabbing performances, but Daryll Neita and Reece Prescod convincingly lived up to their billing as favourites in the womens and mens 60m contests as both grabbed the first British Indoor titles of their careers in Birmingham on Saturday.

It has already been a hugely eventful indoor season for Neita, now the reigning British 100m, 200m and 60m champion, after she came incredibly close to Dina Asher-Smiths freshly-set national record of 7.04 by running a huge PB of 7.05 in Berlin.

The two will meet each other in seven days time for a mouthwatering contest at the Utilita Arena for the World Indoor Tour Final, and the 26-year-old impressed again down the newly-laid sprint straight at the venue, clocking 7.17 to see off the challenge of Asha Philips seasons best 7.21 and the 7.30 clocked by Alisha Rees.

I feel so good right now, said Neita, who ran 7.37 and 7.18 in the heats and semi-finals respectively. I came here to get the gold and run some decent times, which I think I did.

That run in the German capital represented another big step forward for Neita, whose PB was 7.21 just two years ago and 7.11 this time last year. The move away from Rana Reider to work with current coach in Marco Airale, and a group which also contains Prescod and Jeremiah Azu, is clearly having an effect.

I just know what I want and what Im meant to achieve, she added. I want to run fast, I want to break records, so Im on my way. I dropped an amazing time in Berlin, which I know I can challenge again. Ive got that in my head, so I want go faster, but at the same time Im happy just to come back with the gold.

In a sport which is crying out for rivalries, the prospect of Britains top two facing each other is an enticing one and, though next months European Indoor Championships are the top priority, that imminent return to Birmingham is already on Neitas mind.

I know next week Ill be ready to roll. It was good to shake the cobwebs off a bit and next week well see something nice, she said.

For her part, six-time British Indoor champion Philip put herself in contention for selection to Istanbul by putting together three rounds successfully and gaining the qualifying standard after a string of false starts so far this year. Rees was outside of the mark and twice ran 7.28, just short of matching her Scottish record of 7.27.

Prescod had recorded a noteworthy PB of 6.49 at the same ISTAF meeting in Berlin where Neita had excelled, but wasnt getting carried away after his run of 6.54 brought gold ahead of training partner Azu (6.57) in Birmingham. Eugene Amo-Dadzie was third in 6.61.

Its important to not get too excited, keep the momentum up and just keep working, was Prescods immediate reaction. Training has been fantastic. Living in Italy is where its at. We work hard, we train hard, we get the work done.

Azu added: Were going to war every training session. Its good to actually put it out on the track and for people to see.

There were also two mixed classification Para 60m races staged as part of the programme, with Faye Olszowkas 8.18 taking the womens contest and Kevin Santos getting the verdict over Zac Shaw after both recorded 7.02 in the mens event.

In the mens 60m hurdles, a week of suffering through illness did not prove to be a barrier for David King, who won his third British Indoor title with a run of 7.62 which saw off Andy Pozzis 7.81 and secured the European Indoor qualifying mark.

The City of Plymouth athlete reached the World Indoor final in Belgrade last year by virtue of a coin toss but is aiming to leave no room for doubt when it comes to competition in Istanbul.

Id like to get into the final by right this year and then contend for a medal, he said, following a race in which Cameron Fillery completed the podium with a seasons best 7.93. I dont see why not. I think it would take a mid to a high 7.50 for a medal and I see no reason why Im not capable of that.

It had not been an ideal build-up for the womens champion, Cindy Sember, either. The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist has had injury problems but insisted she is finding her rhythm again. Unsure as to whether she will contest the European Indoors, an event at which she won a silver medal two years ago, the 28-year-old clocked 8.10 for victory ahead of Marli Jessops 8.26 PB and Alicia Barretts 8.32.

While the mens pole vault saw the first champion of the weekend to be crowned, in the form of Charlie Myers, day one was completed by a compelling womens contest which went right down to the wire.

Jade Ive and Sophie Cook, having matched each other vault for vault, both failed with their three attempts at 4.35m, bringing about a jump-off at the same height. Ive managed to go over, winning her first British Indoor title in six years. Jade Spencer-Smith won bronze with a best of 4.15m.

I feel over the moon, ecstatic, beyond words honestly, said Ive. Its been a long time coming. What a way to do it in a jump-off. Pole vaulting is really technical, you have to stick to a plan. Im not used to big crowds, the clapping gets you going and if you let it take over and overwhelm you then itll throw the jump out. Forget the crowd, just stick to your plan and it just comes through.

With defending mens champion Harry Coppell not competing, Myers seized his chance. The 2019 champion needed just one effort to take the title, clearing 5.05m at the first time of asking to secure gold.

Three men shared silver, with Ewan Bradley of Loughborough Students, Giffnock Norths Reuben Nairne and Birchfield Harriers Jack Phipps all producing first-time clearances of 4.90m.

Reynold Banigo equalled his indoor best with a fourth-round leap of 7.85m to take mens long jump gold and win the first British Indoor title of his career.

The Sale Harrier has been dealing with knee pain and a slip on the board during the warm-up did not help with pre-event confidence levels, but the reigning national outdoor champion was comfortably out in front.

Harrow ACs Jack Roach got closest to him with a second-round 7.53m, while Samuel Khogali of Woodford Green Essex Ladies won bronze with his last attempt of the day, reaching 7.45m.

Mary Elcock has only been triple jumping for a year, but already she is a British Indoor champion. Having switched from her main event of long jump, the Woodford Green Essex Ladies athlete finished top of the podium after reaching 12.71m in the fourth and sixth rounds, ensuring she finished ahead of Lily Hulland who had gone into a third-round lead with that distance.

This is my first indoor champs, so its been jumping in at the deep end, said Elcock.

There is still a lot to work on, it was a little messy. However, Im very happy to come away with a gold medal. I have been known for being able to pull it out of the bag when I need to.

Ugandan blasts to senior mens title ahead of Berihu Aregawi, Joshua Cheptegei and Geoffrey Kamworor

With storm clouds ominously gathering overhead, Jacob Kiplimo whipped through the testing world cross course like a tornado. After taking bronze at the last championships in Aarhus four years ago, the 22-year-old came of age in Bathurst with a dominant victory.

Following warm temperatures at the start of the championship programme, the weather began to take a turn for the worst as the final race the senior mens 10km event approached. This led to concerned organisers bringing the start time forward by several minutes as they were eager for the race to take place before the heavens opened.

Amid increasing winds and rain, the 118-strong field got underway, but one man rose above them all Kiplimo as he made a decisive move with around one mile to go before coming home in 29:17.

The world half-marathon record-holder is a man for all seasons as he also won the Commonwealth 5000m and 10,000m double last summer. Here he made light work of the undulating, twisting and varied terrain as he coasted to the title.

Birhanu Aregawi of Ethiopia took silver in 29:26 with reigning champion Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda taking bronze in 29:37.

Geoffrey Kamworor, the 2015 and 2017 winner, was fourth in the same time as Cheptegei.

Three more Kenyans followed in fifth to seventh places Kibiwott Kandie, Daniel Ebenyo and Sabastian Sawe before Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi in eighth.

Kenya won the team gold with Ethiopia silver and Uganda third.

READ MORE: World Cross coverage from Bathurst

First non-African was Sam Chelanga of the United States in 21st, followed closely by Aaron Las Heras of Spain.

The lone British runner, Zak Mahamed, had a tough day back in 76th in 34:05.

Letesenbet Gidey collapses with just metres to go when holding a seemingly winning lead in the senior womens race in Bathurst allowing Beatrice Chebet to storm through for gold

In the 50-year history of the World Cross Country Championships there have rarely been more dramatic moments than the finish of the womens race at the 2023 event in Bathurst. Despite holding a sizeable lead into the home straight, Letesenbet Gidey collapsed just metres from the line as Beatrice Chebet blasted past to take the title.

Gidey arrived in Bathurst as world record-holder at 5000m, 10,000m and half-marathon. The Ethiopian is also reigning world 10,000m champion. Certainly she is not short of stamina as her half-marathon best is a phenomenal 62:57.

So when she broke away from Chebet with about four minutes of racing left, she looked certain to add the senior crown to the under-20 titles she won in 2015 and 2017.

Gidey held a lead of six seconds as she zig-zagged through the tyres with roughly 400m to go and around five seconds around the final bend approaching the finish, but on the last downhill stretch she looked exhausted and began to stagger before suddenly collapsing on to the ground with about 30 metres to go.

Not quite believing her fortune, Chebet showed no mercy by storming past her. Stupidly, a couple of Ethiopians then broke on to the course to held Gidey up, leading to her being disqualified.

It helped Kenya secure team gold by six points from Ethiopia with Uganda third. Ethiopias curse in this race in recent years continues, too, as their last winner was Tirunesh Dibaba back in 2008.

Chebet, who won world silver and Commonwealth gold at 5000m last year, clocked 33:48 over this gruelling 10km course as silver went to Tsigie Gebreselama of Ethiopia in 33:56 with Agnes Ngetich of Kenya third in 34:00.

Chebet is used to winning exciting finishes as well as she took under-20 world cross gold in Aarhus four years ago when three athletes crossed the line in a blanket finish. Now aged 22, she has been in good form lately as well with victory in the Cinque Mulini race in Italy earlier this year.

READ MORE: World Cross coverage from Bathurst

Nozomi Tanaka of Japan was first non-African home in 14th.

Abbie Donnelly was first Brit home in 24th in 35:53, one place ahead of Amelia Quirk.

Poppy Tank was 32nd and Megan Keith 52nd as the British team finished in sixth place and top Europeans behind the fourth-placed Australians and fifth-placed Americans.

Kenyan one-two at World Cross Country Champs in Bathurst as Ed Bird leads the Brits home in 18th

Ishmael Kipkurui emerged as the winner in a ferociously competitive under-20 mens race at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia, on Saturday.

The Kenyan clocked 24:29 over the tough 8km course as he finished narrowly ahead of fast-finishing team-mate, Reynold Cheruiyot, the reigning world under-20 1500m champion, with Boki Diriba of Ethiopia third.

Kipkurui, 18, won the Kenyan trial race in the run-up to these championships and he made his move in the final kilometre, zig-zagging through the tyres section and then powering through the downhill finish to take gold.

Such is the standard of this event, runner-up Cheruiyot has a 1500m best of 3:34.02, while Diriba ran a 60:34 half-marathon last year aged just 18.

Diriba was in second place until the final metres, too, but was overtaken by Cheruiyot as long-time leader Dan Kibet of Uganda placed fourth, Bereket Zeleke of Ethiopia fifth and Kenneth Kiprop sixth.

Kenya won the team contest by just one point from Ethiopia with the United States matching the bronze medal winning performance of their team-mates in the under-20 womens race earlier in the day.

South Africa, Britain and Australia followed in fourth, fifth and sixth.

Runners from Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda filled the top 15 places but Leo Young of the United States was 16th, one place ahead of Australian Archie Noakes as Ed Bird led the Brits home in a brilliant 18th in 26:10.

The tall Bird, the European under-18 3000m bronze medallist in 2022, enjoyed the race of his life on the twisty, undulating course as team-mate Jacob Deacon was 26th, with Luke Birdseye 28th and Sam Mills 49th.