Dina is on right track to take on golden girl
THE fastest women in British history Dina Asher-smith has a chance to test herself against the best at the Müller Birmingham Diamond League, taking on current Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-herah in what will be one of the most hotly contested races of the competition.
Asher-smith will be looking to reestablish herself as one of the world’s best after an injury-plagued Olympics in Tokyo – forcing her to withdraw from the 200m event. Heroically, she was still part of the 4 x 100 metres relay team that set a new national record of 41.55 seconds in their heat and picked up a bronze medal in the final behind Jamaica and the US, adding to her relay bronze from the Rio Games.
May 21 is another chance for Asher-smith to put pressure on the current Olympic champion and alltime sprinting great Thompsonherah. The second-fastest women in history over both the 100m and 200m, the Jamaican is also a five-time Olympic champion, and the first-ever woman to complete a “sprint double” at consecutive Olympics, where she took gold in both short distance events in 2016 and again in the Tokyo Games.
She also has history in this competition – boasting an incredible record as a threetime Diamond League winner – and Thompsonherah is relishing the chance to add her to her accolades at the revamped Alexander Stadium.
“I’m obviously very proud of what I’ve achieved in my career so far, but there are more goals I want to achieve in the sport, so I’m now motivated to work even harder.,” she said.
“I enjoyed racing indoors earlier this year, and I was pleased with how I opened my outdoors, but my focus is on working hard each day and getting back on to the podium at the World Championships this summer.”
Also competing for Great Britain will be Daryll Neita, who was part of the relay team that took bronze in Tokyo. Neita clocked an impressive 10.93 lifetime best in the Wanda Diamond League final in Zurich and finished the season ranked second-fastest British woman of all time behind Asher-smith.
With her eyes fixed firmly on two major events in Birmingham to come, she said: “I was very focused going into last summer and I knew I was capable of going sub-11 seconds. I’d visualised lining up in the Olympic final against those incredible girls. I think you have to believe you belong there, and now I know that I do. I can’t wait to do it all over again this year and to get my season started in front of a home crowd.”
The line-up will also include Tokyo bronze medallist Shericka Jackson (Jamaica), the third-fastest woman of all time in the 200 metres Gabby Thomas (USA), and European Indoor Championships gold medallist over 60m Ajla Del Ponte (Swittzerland).
The Müller Birmingham Diamond League will feature the best athletes from around the world and take place at the Alexander Stadium on Saturday May 21. For tickets, visit the website at www.britishathletics.org.uk
There are more goals I want to achieve in the sport, so I’m now motivated to work even harder. Elaine Thompson-herah