Dina confident Flo world best can be broken
When you stop thinking about limits and focus on the processes, who knows what can be achieved?
Dina Asher-smith
DINA Asher-smith believes Florence Griffith Joyner’s 34-year-old 100 metres world record is under threat.
The 26-year-old feels the record can fall as technology progresses in the sport.
The world 200m champion will run in the 100m at the Birmingham Diamond League meet today, although she will not face Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-herah after she pulled out on Thursday.
The Jamaican ran 10.54seconds – just 0.05secs off Griffith Joyner’s 1988 record last year – while Shelly-ann Fraser-pryce has openly spoken about running 10.4secs and Asher-smith feels the 10.49s mark could go with the aid of shoe and track technology.
“I think so,” said the British record holder, who has run 10.83s. “We shouldn’t put limits on ourselves. When you stop thinking about limits and focus on the processes, who knows what can be achieved? Everything seems impossible until it’s done. Definitely given the advantages of (spike) technology, definitely given the increase of track technology.
“That plus all the advantages, the competition – domestic and international – nice wins, amazing crowds, we have all been starved of crowds because of the pandemic. If I said no (that she couldn’t break it), what would you say? Crazier things have been done and nothing is impossible. I’m excited to go out there and put together some really good races. Who knows.”
Asher-smith is planning to defend her five titles this year with the Commonwealth Games and European Championships following July’s World Championships Eugene.
She won the 200m at the Worlds in 2019, 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the Europeans in 2018 and the 4x100m at the Commonwealth Games four years ago. She said: “I’d like to double up at Worlds and Commonwealths and, with the Europeans, we will definitely be a bit more mindful of how the World Championships is and how I feel coming off that. It is a really tight turnaround. You have to be reactive and react to the fact we have a lot of races in an incredibly short space of time.
“This year is a unique year for Brits. You have to have your mind on the World Championships and I have five titles to defend across the Championships. I will hoping to make an appearance at all of them.”
Keely Hodgkinson, who won 800m silver in Tokyo, Holly Bradshaw, who took bronze in the pole vault, and Josh Kerr, after his 1500m bronze in Japan, also run at the Alexander Stadium today.
World heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-thompson will compete in the long jump. Hodgkinson pulled out of the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade in March with a thigh tear having been heavy favourite for the 800m title.
She added: “Belgrade was disappointing, I was hoping to bring back a medal. I made the decision not to run, it took six weeks to get healthy. But everything happens for a reason, I’m healthy and looking forward to racing.”