GOLDEN DINA AND THE GIRLS JUMP FOR JOY
Asher-Smith seals golden sprint treble with dazzling relay gold to become Britain’s...
THE baton has passed. Not only from one woman to another in a bonkers and golden 4 x 100 metres relay last night, but also in the wider sense that Jessica Ennis-Hill finally has a successor as the heroine of British athletics.
That can probably be broadened out as well, for which sportswoman of any pursuit in this country holds more promise than Dina Asher-Smith right now? Who is producing moments of mouthgaping brilliance like she has in the past week and did once more in this last wacky segment of her Berlin hat-trick?
Probably no-one and a relay gold medal wasn’t necessary for that status, of course, because it was those two bolts across 100m and 200m last week that sent a booming, track-melting message outside of Europe and to all corners of the world. They heard it in the Caribbean, in the US, in west Africa and anywhere else where leading sprinters are sitting dormant and watching what has been going on here.
They all heard it, loud and clear. But then this, the latest layer of polish on the halo in what ordinarily ranks as the bonus material on the DVD. It’s a relay. Nice, fun, but not essential, you know.
And yet true to the rest of the championships, Asher-Smith was able to turn it into something else, given the race was so absurd when the 22-year-old took the baton and told herself with a dollop of theatrical flair: ‘Not on my watch.’
The reason being, of course, that Britain nearly botched it. They shouldn’t have, given they are the world silver medallists in the 4 x 100m.
But by the time the baton reached Asher-Smith, via Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot and Bianca Williams, they were in a mess. Fourth, in fact, behind Holland, Germany and Switzerland with 100m to go. That shouldn’t happen for a country that has been forced through necessity to attach more importance than most to these fringe medals by virtue of not having enough globe-straddling individuals.
And so embarrassment beckoned for the team and a piece of history was slipping away from Asher-Smith, who was bidding to become the first Brit to win three golds at the same European Championship.
That was on its way out of the window, and then Asher-Smith grabbed the baton and pulled it back in. She passed them all, one by one. She made 100m look a long way because she actually finished 0.27sec clear of Holland. Staggering, really.
Then she started dancing again. Three times in a week she has hopped around in delirium with that big grin. Get used to it.
‘I just thought there’s no way we were coming away from here with anything less than a gold medal,’ she said. ‘When I got the baton I was like, “Not today, today is our day” and I’m very happy to finish that off for the girls. I saw people and thought, “Not on my watch”. I’m so happy.’
A little bit of drama for a woman who is getting rather adept at putting on a show. She rocked up for the 100m on Tuesday and walloped a double world champion in Dafne Schippers, going the fastest in the world this year in 10.85sec.
And then she came back to the track on Saturday and demolished Schippers again, this time at the Dutchwoman’s best distance. The time? 21.89sec. The fastest in the world and an obliteration too of her British record, just as she had done in the 100m, yet even more impressive.
There is a logical refrain to the excitement. Yes, she is the most promising name in the set-up, an athlete along with Katarina Johnson-Thompson, European 100m champion Zharnel Hughes and Reece Prescod, who could push on for global medals. But stepping up from European to world level has long been a problem for Britain.
They got more athletics medals here than any other nation — 18, with three golds last night when you include Laura Muir in the 1500m and the men’s 4 x 100m team — but they had more at Zurich in 2014 and still only had Mo Farah as an individual medallist at the worlds last year.
Also, as Asher- Smith keeps pointing out, nations outside the Commonwealth and Europe have had a down year. So while she is top of the lot this season, if you
broaden the data to include 2017, which contained a world championships, she sits equal sixth for the 100 and third for the 200.
A stunning ranking, but great athletes are ahead of her and nearby. And yet who would bet against her reaching the summit? After the past week, that would be a brave wager indeed.
Meanwhile, the men’s quartet of CJ ujah, hughes, Adam gemili and harry Aikines-Aryeetey cantered home in 37.80sec to take the 4 x 100m gold, well clear of Turkey. It was a fitting end to a championships dominated by British sprinters.