NO GLORY FOR DINA

Alfred's great as Neita the bright spot for GB

- ALAN SMITH

BY the time Julien Alfred was crowned the world’s fastest woman, Dina Asher-Smith was already doing her best to forget.

The British record holder shrugged her shoulders over and over as she tried to explain a one-paced semi-final run of 11.10secs that left her “incredibly shocked”.

For once she was lost for words as the brutal reality sunk in that a glorious opportunity to win an individual Olympic medal was spurned. Asher-Smith was, by her own admission, in a great place mentally and physically.

But on the purple track that manufacturers claim offers a two per cent better energy return to previous models, she coughed up her slowest time for two years.

“I’m disappointed,” she said six times in 90 seconds. “I really expected to make the final.”

So when the moment of truth arrived 90 minutes later and her training partner, Alfred, geared up to win the title, Asher-Smith was not even on the start line.