British athletics faces crucial world championships after trials no-shows | Sean Ingle

The meagre crowds at UK Athletics trials suggest the sport desperately needs a boost. Can the next wave of British stars provide it in London?

A tale of two cities. The best of times, and the worst of times.

First – Ostrava on a molten Wednesday night for two hours of athletics’ greatest hits. Usain Bolt wins the 100m and spends an hour smiling for selfies; Wayde van Niekerk shatters the 300m world record; David Rudisha suffers a shock 1,000m defeat; Mo Farah gallops away to another 10,000m victory to booming bellows of “Mo! Mo!”. Fireworks off the track and on it. A sellout 30,000 crowd, thirsty and delirious, lapped it up.

Related: Dina Asher-Smith limps back into frame for world championships in London

It's probably the worst crowd I've seen in 10 years. We do need our big names here

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