Asher-smith’s smile hides ‘killer’ attitude
➤ Behind a bubbly exterior, the world champion sprinter has a steely core which has driven her to succeed ever since her youth
There is a story Olympic 4x100 metres champion Darren Campbell tells that neatly encapsulates Dina Asher-smith’s path to the peak of her profession: the single-minded determination, the desire and sacrifice of her parents for their only child to succeed, and the overwhelming sense that her arrival in Tokyo as a world champion, with sights fixed on Olympic gold, is no fluke.
“Sometimes athletes don’t have full belief in themselves, but one of the things I realised when I first came across her aged 13 or 14 was her strong family support,” Campbell told The Telegraph.
“I remember going to give Dina my Olympic medal to try on and her mum said: ‘No, the first medal she tries on needs to be her own’. That was telling to me. I knew from a very early stage that she had the right mentality to be successful.”
As she prepares for the start of her two-pronged Olympic campaign in the 100m and 200m tomorrow, there seems little doubt that Ashersmith’s success has, indeed, been a lifetime in the planning. An only child to two doting parents who have followed her path from local parks in her native Bromley to stadiums worldwide, success was drummed into her from a young age by refusing to let her win even the most innocuous of family games.
“It instilled this competitiveness in me and also the lesson that if you want something, no one is going to give it to you. You have to earn it,” she wrote earlier this year in The Players’ Tribune. “It was a lesson that made me want to go again and again and again. Growing up, if anyone ever beat me at anything I’d be like, ‘Right, let’s go again!’”
She was only cajoled into trying running at primary school when a friend offered to buy her an ice cream if she would tag along to the new running club, and incentivising often proved to be key in those early days.
A first competitive cross-country race came about only because her mother, Julie, promised her a video game of her choosing if she competed. When she crossed the line in fifth place, Julie was there to celebrate with her daughter, just as she has been at races worldwide later in Asher-smith’s career.
Studying for her GCSES, Julie said she would give her daughter money for each A* she achieved. Desperate to have enough to buy an Apple Macbook computer, Ashersmith gained 10 A*s.
By that point, it was evident that sprinting was her calling – the first international title had arrived by the age of 15 – but achievement for Asher-smith has always been about more than just fast times.
As her standing has grown, she has spoken of being a voice for black people, a figurehead for body confidence and a role model for young girls. That she gained first-class honours in her history degree at King’s College, London, was no surprise.
“I’m really bad at academic failure. I just get really frustrated if I don’t perform to the best of my abilities,” she said. “So I could float through uni, but I want to do as well as I possibly can. I hate hindsight.”
Such determination is not unique in elite sportspeople, but it is a side to Ashersmith, 25, few people are privy to seeing. Her public image is bubbly and joyful, and someone who can smile their way through even the most anodyne interview. That happy young woman exists, but strip that away and there is a steely core which underpins everything she does.
“One thing she has that every sprinter needs is the killer attitude,” said British 200m record holder John Regis. “She’s so happy, smiley and giggly, but put her on the track and the beast is unleashed.”
Christian Malcolm, British Athletics’ head coach, agrees. “Don’t let her smiley, nice exterior fool you,” he said. “Underneath is someone who is extremely determined and incredibly competitive. She is the ultimate professional.”
Asher-smith has embraced the opportunities afforded her by her stellar performances – she lists five commercial partners on her personal website, covering sportswear (Nike), food (Muller), watches (Hublot), exercise (Puregym) and technology (Samsung), and is perfectly at ease with the non-sports media.
This month she was the cover star of British Vogue, but there is scarcely a glossy magazine that has not featured her prominently since she shot to stardom.
But once competition looms more largely into view, all outside distractions are cut out. In the build-up to any big race, Ashersmith – who lives in Orpington, close to her training base at Blackheath and Bromley Athletics Club – steadily shuts herself away.
All food treats disappear, social media notifications are turned off, apps are hidden in a folder on her phone, and even friends are kept at arm’s length. Her inner team, led by her childhood coach John Blackie but small by the standards of global superstars, are told not to speak to the media. Victory is the only thing that matters.
Team-mates have always been impressed – and surprised – by this remarkable focus. Anyika Onuora, Olympic and world 4x400m medallist, recalls the first time she met the 17-year-old Asher-smith when they were put together in the British relay team.
“When you have a newcomer to the team, what usually happens is they can be very overwhelmed,” said Onuora. “I was second leg and Dina was first, and we only did one warm-up changeover before the race. In the call room before the race I asked her if she was OK and she just went: ‘Anyika, don’t worry, I’ve got this’. I’d never heard anything like that from any newcomer into the team.
“I’ve been in a call room with her many times since and she’s definitely a calm presence, always relaxed. But she won’t have a conversation with any of the other girls – especially going into a big race where she is the favourite. She will just focus.”
Part of it comes from an unflinching resolve to succeed in whatever she puts her mind to; part of it is a perfectionist streak that extends beyond athletics.
On the track every step is meticulously planned; away from it every word carefully chosen, every opinion thoughtfully conveyed without haste or undue deference to others. This is a formidable athlete who will let nothing stand between her and her ambitions.