AS the glare of the spotlight on Dina Asher-Smith grows stronger, that ever increasing level of attention is something which Britain’s fastest ever female sprinter continues to take in her speedy stride.
The 23-year-old’s optimistic outlook, together with a fierce determination, a love for what she does and her substantial talent, is clearly a winning recipe. Now the next step is to take those ingredients and bring them perfectly to the boil in Doha.
Asher-Smith might have been playing down her chances in the lead-up to what will be her fourth IAAF World Championships – where she is set to race the 100m, 200m and 4x100m – but she appreciates that some people may already be starting to hang medals around her neck.
Winning the 100m Diamond League trophy with a time just three hundredths outside her British record of 10.85 and being ranked third in the entry lists in both that event and in the 200m with 22.08 is bound to get fans excited.
There are those athletes who would shy away and shrink in the face of such expectations but Asher-Smith is embracing them.
“Some people would get really overwhelmed but, for me, I think it’s nice in all honesty for them to think that I can go on to do great things,” says the three-time European champion.
This story is from the September 26, 2019 edition of Athletics Weekly.
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This story is from the September 26, 2019 edition of Athletics Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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