Born 4th December 1995, Dina Asher-Smith is one of Britain’s most talented and decorated female athletes, despite being in the early stages of her career. The sprinter has become the fastest British woman in recorded history over both 100m and 200m, and is one of the UK’s most influential people of African/African Caribbean descent in 2021.

The 25 year old was born in Orpington, Greater London and is a member of Blackheath and Bromley Harriers Athletic Club, remarkably close to where she was born. During her early Athletics career, Asher-Smith still made sure she found the time for her education and attended King’s College London for three years after receiving AAA A-level results. In 2017, she graduated with a BA (Hons) in History.

 

Record Breaker at a Young Age

In 2009, Asher-Smith ran the 300m in just 39.16 seconds to achieve the world fastest time for someone aged 13, showcasing the obvious talent she had from the moment she stepped onto the tracks. She went on to win the English School Championships for 200m at under 15, under 17 and under 20 level. Her talent was not going unnoticed, with her being shortlisted for the 2013 BBC young sports personality of the year award at just 17 years of age.

During the European Championships in Berlin, 2018, Asher-Smith went on to win the gold medal in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. After the success she achieved during 2018, she was named BT sport action woman of the year after a public vote.

“It’s a bit of a surprise because I know there were so many other great nominees, world champions, people who won at the winter Olympics, so to think that I am the Action Woman of the Year is incredible. Thank you so much but there were so many other worthy women as well.”

Dina Asher-Smith has won plenty of accolades and set multiple British records during her professional sprinting career. During the World Championships in 2019, Dina Asher-Smith won the silver medal in the 100m sprint and achieved the new women’s British record of 10.83 seconds. During the same championships, Asher-Smith also won the gold medal in 200m, also setting a new Women’s British record of 21.88 seconds, then went even further to win the silver medal in 4x100m relay.

Her successful championships in 2018 and 2019 has highlighted her talent and is showing that Women’s athletics is more impressive and exciting than ever. Asher-Smith is pushing boundaries and ensuring that women are represented and being heard just as much as their male counterparts are.

 

Olympic Career

At 20 years old, Asher-Smith made her first appearance at the Olympics at Rio 2016, achieving a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay, and coming 5th in the 200m sprint.. In June 2021, she managed to book her place in the 100m qualifiers in Tokyo after a trial victory that continued her unbeaten streak during 2021. She said that she was in “really, really good shape” for the Tokyo Olympics.

When speaking to the Guardian, Asher-Smith said that she wasn’t bothered about her American and Jamaican rivals and that she will deliver in Tokyo 2020, no matter what it takes or the amount of effort she has to exert. “I didn’t watch anything in Jamaica or the US but obviously I know what happened. The women have been running incredibly quickly this year and it’s amazing for world sprinting. I always back myself because I know what kind of shape I’m in.”

Asher-Smith then went on to predict that the Women’s 100m race will be more exciting than the Men’s during Tokyo 2020. “I’m completely biased but yeah, I do. There’s been so much noise around it, which is only brilliant for the sport. The more eyes the better.” Dina was not wrong, the final saw a complete Jamaican podium with Elaine Thompson-Herah taking the gold. Dina was unfortunately not involved in the final as she had struggled with a hamstring injury during the Olympics, which eventually forced her to withdraw from the 200m.

British team-mate Zharnel Hughes told Eurosport that Asher-Smith is able to handle becoming Britain’s ‘poster girl’ for Tokyo 2020. “I’ve known her to be a very hard-working person. She’s very committed and she’s the type of person who’ll continue to push right through.” This points to Dina’s fantastic work ethic and the fact that she does not allow the press or the media attention affect her running.

 

Post-Tokyo Career

Attention will now be turned to how Dina performs after Tokyo 2020, since few high level races have taken place since 2019 due to Covid-19. The Olympics couldn’t have come at a worse time for Asher-Smith. After having very successful periods during 2018 and 2019, she would have liked to carry the strong momentum going into Tokyo 2020, but instead had little race experience at the top level for the past year and a half. This was only compounded by Dina’s hamstring injury.

Hopefully with the easing of lockdown across Britain Dina will be able to train harder than ever. Expect her to have a fantastic 2022 campaign as she looks to reclaim her European titles and to start another impressive win streak.