British sprinter recovers from poor start to enjoy an emphatic victory with a sub-11-second run over 100m on Sunday
Dina Asher-Smith stands on the cusp of being Britain’s most successful athlete in history at the European Championships.
In the women’s 100m final on Sunday (June 9) in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico she won her fifth European gold medal. If her team manage 4x100m victory on Wednesday, she will overtake Roger Black and Mo Farah, both of whom also have five titles, on the all-time GB medal tally.
The 28-year-old won European 200m gold in Amsterdam in 2016 followed by 100m, 200m and 4x100m golds in Berlin 2018. And now she has achieved 100m glory in Rome, with maybe more to come, although she does not compete in the 200m this week.
Recovering from a sluggish start, Asher-Smith powered away to win in style in 10.99 (0.7) as Ewa Swoboda of Poland was runner-up in 11.03 and Zaynab Dosso of Italy third in 11.03. Asher-Smith’s team-mate Amy Hunt was seventh in 11.15.
Asher-Smith is aware she is now tied with Black and Farah in the history books, too. “That’s why I’m here,” she said, on the quest to notch up as many medals as possible. “Hopefully we can now come together as a relay team and do a fab job.”
Dina Asher-Smith wins (Getty)
On the race itself, she was kicking herself for her poor start but in the race itself she didn’t dwell on it. “You have to [not dwell on it],” she said. “It’s gone, quite frankly. I have 10 or 11 seconds to execute and I’ve done this enough times to know you have to focus on your own lane and own plan.
“I’m in great shape at the moment and felt really good today so I was confident I had what it took. I didn’t plan to run it that way but if that’s what it took then that’s what it took.”
All smiles post-race, Asher-Smith joked about the temperatures in Rome. Most Brits found it uncomfortably warm but Asher-Smith, who has been based in Texas for the past year, joked: “It’s freezing for me. I’ve got Tiger Balm on. It’s 35-37°C at my training base at the moment.”
Dina Asher-Smith (Getty)
She will return to the United States post-championships for a training block before coming back to Manchester for the UK Championships and Olympic trials. “I’m with a new coach so I’m spending as much time as possible with him,” she said.
Hunt, who was a late addition into the squad, was also delighted with her run. The former junior star has found a rich vein of form this summer after being based in Italy under coach Marco Airale.
She said: “I stood on that start line with the biggest smile on my face, it has been a long journey for me, so to reach this point on the mountain is amazing, I can stop and be grateful, and be proud of myself for how far I have come.”
For more Euro Champs coverage from Rome, click here