Asher-Smith vows to be quick out blocks

Dina Asher-Smith has vowed to run even faster next year as she refused to engage in mind games with her sprint rivals.

The 22-year-old is enjoying a break from competition after becoming a household name by completing a sprint treble at the European Championships in Berlin.

Asher-Smith crossed the finishing line in 10.85 seconds, the fastest time by a woman over 100m in the world this year, and 21.89 in the 200m, to smash both British records.

Dafne Schippers, the reigning 200m world champion who finished behind Smith in both races, put a dampener on her world-leading time by stating that it had been set in a ‘down year’, without a major competition.

“Everybody likes to play what was said as mind games but it doesn’t run that deeply,” Asher-Smith said. “It is just a fact.

“If you are from parts of the world outside of Europe, then there wasn’t a major championships this year, so some athletes peaked for the European Championships, some peaked for the Commonwealth Games, and some peaked for the Diamond League final. Some missed the whole season altogether.

“It was a transitional year, which is why I wanted to do well because it sets me up for the World Championships in 2019 and the Olympic Games in 2020.

Asher-Smith is still on cloud nine following her achievements in Berlin, which also included relay gold. She is adapting to her new-found fame – such as appearing on the Jonathan Ross chat show – enjoying fast food, and 10 hours of sleep a day. This weekend, she will head to Portugal with friends on holiday.

Then, in late October it will be back to business when she returns to training, and sets her sights on success in Doha next autumn and then Tokyo in 2020. But how will she cope with the extra pressure that is synonymous with her Berlin triumph?

“I have always had a target on my back since I have come up through the junior ranks, but as a World Leader it is slightly different,” Asher-Smith said. “In the 100m, we will have a reigning Olympic, world and Diamond League champion, and a World Leader so lots of us will have different targets for different reasons, but it is part and parcel of the job.” NEVER MISS IMPORTANT NEWS / NEVER MISS A COMPETITION / NO NEED TO GO OUT IN BAD WEATHER / EASY PAYMENT METHODS