‘Disappointed’ Asher-smith finishes third on her return
In athletics, it rarely pays to make assumptions based on early-season results. This time last year, Dina Asher-smith beat the world’s best to triumph in her first Diamond League race of the season only to end up injured by the Olympics.
Nonetheless, not even she felt the need to disguise her disappointment at finishing only third in her first international race of the year last night.
While Asher-smith struggled with injury in 2021, Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson and American Gabby Thomas ran faster over 200metres than the reigning world champion ever has, and the pair left her in their wake at the Doha Diamond League meeting.
Despite a brilliant start meaning she led into the bend, Asher-smith faded and was soon left watching her rivals pull clear.
Thomas, the Olympic 200m bronze medallist, won in 21.98sec, with Olympic 100m bronze medalist Jackson second in 22.07. Ashersmith was some way back in 22.37.
“I feel like I was in a bit better shape than that time so I’m a little bit disappointed,” Asher-smith said. “But it is the first race, so I’ve got to get a few more under my belt. I am in good shape this year. Now and again, it takes me a while to warm up. So it’s all good.”
The scale of the task facing Ashersmith if she is to retain her world title in July is evident. When she claimed that gold medal in 2019, becoming the first British woman ever to win a global sprint title, there were no rivals of note in the race.
Yet her winning time of 21.88 would have been good enough for gold in 13 of the 17 editions of the World Championships. Her problem now is that five women, including Thomas and Jackson, went faster than that last season. Namibia’s Christine Mboma, who won Olympic silver, was meant to line up in last night’s race but withdrew through injury, while double Olympic champion Elaine Thompsonherah
clocked 21.53 to triumph in Tokyo.
Pre-race, Asher-smith insisted the pandemic and last year’s injury meant she had been unable to “showcase the work” she has put in since 2019 and she remained bullish after the race when asked about her ambitions for the year. “I want to win the World Championship, obviously.”