Dartford sprinter Adam Gemili gave a "tremendous performance" to win gold in the men's relay despite being ruled out of competing individually due to injury.

Gemili, who has been recovering from a leg injury, was not given time to prove his fitness and was instead given a place in the 4x100m relay at the World Championships in London.

Slickly executed exchanges by the former Dartford Grammar School pupil Adam Gemili along with Chijindu Ujah, Danny Talbot and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake gave Britain gold in 37.47 seconds, breaking an 18-year-old national record and European record and securing the world title for the first time.

Team GB beat the American favourites to the gold - their first since Athens in 2004.

Gemili, 23, took to Twitter after the race to say how happy he was.

He said: "WE ARE THE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!! No words to describe how I feel right now. Overwhelmed with the messages of support. Thank you all so much!"

Gemili and his teammates beat the Jamaicans, including Usain Bolt, who pulled up with an injury in his final race before retiring.

The 30-year-old pulled up on the home straight as he chased down the United States and Britain, hobbling for a few strides before falling to the track.

Pat Calnan, British league team manager at Blackheath and Bromley Harriers AC - where Gemili is a member - said he was happy that Gemili had won a medal as he faced injuries in the run up to the championships.

He said: “It was a tremendous performance given it was the third fastest time ever and a British record.

"I’m very pleased for Adam as he had some injuries and so he didn’t compete as an individual in the championships.

“Everybody in the club is delighted by his performance at the championships. He is a great ambassador of the club and we are very proud of him.”

Gemili is a three-time European Championship gold medalist and was Team GB’s athletics captain at the Rio Olympics last summer.