Dina Asher-Smith bidding to ‘create history’ after previous Olympics heartbreak

The 28-year-old is looking to become the first British woman to claim Olympic sprint gold in either the 100m or 200m

(AFP via Getty Images)

Dina Asher-Smith believes she is finding speed at the right time as she bids to “create history” at the this summer’s Paris Olympics.

The British record-holder secured her place in the Team GB squad as she powered to victory in the women’s 200m at the UK Athletics Championships in Manchester back in June.

Her success in a championship record time of 22.18 seconds in cold and wet conditions further underlined her return to form after her 100m European Championship gold earlier in the month.

Now the target is to claim the biggest prize of all and become the first British woman to claim Olympic sprint gold in either the 100m or 200m.

The 28-year-old said: “I’m so happy with my performance. I was honestly just hoping for a healthy race and to qualify for the Olympic Games, but to come through in a season’s best when I know that I can run faster when it’s a little bit warmer – it bodes really well. Championship record, stadium record – it feels really good.

“I want to be so successful, I want to do myself proud and I want to create history. I’m running great. I’m happy that as we’re coming into the crunch time in the season everything’s coming together. I’m on track.

“It’s not my first rodeo and I’m very excited going into my third Olympic Games in a really good place.”

Asher-Smith is Britain’s fastest woman and set her record-breaking times as part of an incredible outing at the 2019 World Championships where she won a gold medal in the 200m, silver in the 100m and another silver in the 4×100m relay. She has also tasted success on the Olympic stage, winning a bronze medal with her teammates Asha Philip, Desiree Henry and Daryll Neita in the 4x100m relay, for a British record time of 41.77 seconds, as part of the Rio games in 2016.

Yet, despite competing in Rio and the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, as of yet she has been unable to convert her brilliance into individual Olympic medals. In 2016 she finished fifth in the 200m with a time of in 22.31 seconds, and was hampered by a hamstring injury in the build-up to Tokyo which resulted in her failing to qualify for the 100m final. She subsequently pulled out of the 200m competition as well.

Asher-Smith failed to perform at the World Championships last year (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Archive)

At last year’s World Championships in Budapest she finished eighth in the 100m final and seventh in the 200m and decided to switch from her long-time coach John Blackie to try a different approach with Texas-based Edrick Floreal.

The change seems to be paying off.

She said: “I absolutely adore my previous coach, John. He’s a phenomenal coach, a very intelligent man and we’ve had great success.

“I don’t think anything was wrong or broken but sometimes you need change. If you’re physically in great shape but things aren’t clicking, then you’ve got to look inwards and think of trying a new environment.

“Edrick is an amazing coach, an amazing technician. I’m having a lot of fun, just learning new things and trying new things. I’ve just found when I’m smiling and just having a great day, I run really fast. I definitely do believe in what I can do.”