Dina Asher-Smith exclusive: 'The last gold I haven't got' – Team GB star on Paris Olympics dream
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Updated 17/04/2024 at 06:46 GMT
Dina Asher-Smith has one major title missing from her collection: Olympic gold. Speaking to Eurosport, the British sprint star explained how being in the "golden era" of women's sprinting was helping push her towards her potential. Asher-Smith is one of six athletes being followed on the road to Paris 2024 in WBD’s exclusive new seven-part fly on the wall series Chasing Glory.
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Dina Asher-Smith is predicting a "really fun year" as she aims to take down some of the fastest women in history to deliver an individual Olympic medal at Paris 2024.
In an exclusive interview with Eurosport to mark 100 days to go until the Summer Games get underway on July 26, Asher-Smith talked about what it's like competing in the "golden age of women's sprinting" and how she is adapting to her new life in Austin, Texas under coach Edrick Floreal.
Asher-Smith has already won two Olympic bronze medals in the 4x100m relays from Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, while she boasts six World Championship medals, including the 200m title at Doha 2019.
"I would love an individual Olympic medal," said Asher-Smith, who is a star of Eurosport's fly on the wall series Chasing Glory.
"Olympic gold is the last gold I haven't got. I haven't got an individual Commonwealth gold, but I've got a relay one, and the Olympic gold is the last one – whether individual or relay – that I haven't got. So that would be fab to add to the collection."
Asher-Smith holds the national record over 100m and 200m and may have to improve those marks again to podium in Paris, such is the standard of women's sprinting currently.
Jamaica's Shericka Jackson is threatening to break Florence Griffith Joyner's long-standing 200m world record – coming within seven hundredths of that mark at the World Championships in Budapest last summer – while five of the fastest eight women in history are expected to head to Paris in the 100m.
Elaine Thompson-Herah is hunting a three-peat sprint double after 100m and 200m glory in Rio and Tokyo, while Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is chasing a ninth Olympic sprint medal in her swansong Games.
Asked what it's like competing in such a strong era, Asher-Smith said: "I think it's great.
"We're definitely in the golden age of women's sprinting and it's great to be acknowledged in that group.
"We've been in the golden age of women's sprinting for a while now – the times on the women's side, what it takes to make the podium, what it takes to make the final, it's incredibly fast.
"It just pushes you to be better, it pushes you in training, it pushes you to really fulfil your potential."
Five years ago in Doha, Asher-Smith stormed to 200m gold and 100m silver with two national records (10.83s and 21.88s). After a hamstring injury hit her individual medal hopes at the rearranged Tokyo Olympics, she returned with a superb 200m bronze and was two thousandths shy of another in the 100m at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene.
Although she missed out on the podium at the Worlds in Budapest last summer, she has started the new season in impressive fashion – breaking the British indoor record over 300m in January before stepping up in distance to run a superb 4x400m leg at the Texas Relays in March. And she is not worried about the prospect of having to run faster than she ever has in Paris.
"It's the Olympic Games so if not now, when?" she said.
"Everybody's just trying to run faster than they've ever done. Everybody wants to go the Olympics and perform well. Everybody wants to be at the Olympics in the shape of their life. That's literally the point.
"I'm very grateful that so far we've started the season well, I'm coming off PBs across the longer distances so I'm really excited."
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Dina Asher-Smith of Team Great Britain competes in the Women's 200m Semi-Final during day six of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 at National Athletics Centre on August 24, 2023.
Image credit: Getty Images
In October, Asher-Smith split with long-time coach John Blackie to join Floreal's training group in the States as she targets more global success this summer.
"I've had a really fun time in Austin, Texas so far. Coach Flo has been amazing, he's such a skilled coach," she said.
"I've been learning a lot, we've worked really hard and I'm excited to open up my season soon. I think it's going to be a really fun year.
She added: "A lot has changed. I'm in a new city, a whole new country and culture, and I'm on a new training programme.
"I'm really grateful that I have had so much previous success with John, and so I have a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge of high performance, executing and really performing well in the moment.
"I'm really excited to bring together lots of new skills and marry that together with the knowledge that I have from the past."
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