Dina Asher-Smith

Dina Asher-Smith

Asher-Smith (centre) at the 2013 European Junior Championships.
Personal information
Nationality	British
Born	(1995-12-04) 4 December 1995 Orpington, Kent, England
Sport
Sport	Track and Field
Event(s)	100 m, 200 m
Club	Blackheath & Bromley Harriers A.C.
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	60 m: 7.08 (2015) 100 m: 11.14 (2014) 200 m: 22.61 (2014)
Medal record Women's athletics Competitor for  Great Britain World Championships Bronze 2013 Moscow 4x100 m relay European Indoor Championships Silver 2015 Prague 60 metres World Junior Championships Gold 2014 Oregon 100 metres European Junior Championships Gold 2013 Rieti 200 metres Gold 2013 Rieti 4 x 100 m relay

Dina Asher Smith (born 4 December 1995) is a British sprinter. She is the 2014 World Junior Champion at 100 m, the 2013 European Junior Champion at 200 m and won a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow as a member of the British 4 x 100m relay team. In 2014, she broke the UK junior 100 metres record, running 11.14 secs and the 200 metres record, running 22.61 secs. In 2015, she became the fastest teenager over 60 m in a time matching the British record.

Personal life

Asher-Smith was born in Orpington, Kent, England and from 2008-2014, she attended Newstead Wood School in Orpington.

In August 2014, Asher-Smith obtained the A-Level results she needed to attend university; King's College, London to study History. ^[1]

Career

Asher-Smith is a member of Blackheath and Bromley A.C and is coached by John Blackie. In 2009, she ran the 300 metres in 39.16 sec to set the current World age 13 best.^[2] She has won the English Schools Championships 200 m title as an Under 15 (2010), U17 (2011) and U20 (2013). She won the 2013 event in a time of 23.63 seconds into a strong headwind.^[2] At the 2012 World Junior Championships she finished 7th in the 200 m final in a then personal best time of 23.50. She remarked afterwards that "I am elated to have made the final and achieve a PB in the process, and I'm looking ahead to next year in Italy."

In 2013, Asher-Smith won two gold medals at the European Junior Championships in Rieti, winning the 200 m in 23.29, before joining Yasmin Miller, Steffi Wilson and Desiree Henry to win the 4 x 100m relay and break the UK junior record. She was the youngest athlete selected for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Squad for the 2013 World Championships in Moscow and along with team mates Annabelle Lewis, Ashleigh Nelson and Hayley Jones, won the bronze medal in the 4 x 100m relay. The British squad originally finished fourth in the final but were promoted to the bronze medal after the disqualification of the French team. Asher-Smith was shortlisted for the 2013 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.^[3]

In 2014, Asher-Smith won the 100 metres at the World Junior Championships in Eugene, running 11.23 secs.

At the 2014 European Athletics Championships in Zurich, Asher-Smith qualified for the 200 m final but unfortunately pulled up with a hamstring injury on the bend and DNF.

Asher-Smith took the silver medal at the 2015 European Athletics Indoor Championships for the 60 m. It was the first time in 30 years that a British female won a medal in the event. In doing so, Asher-Smith equalled Jeanette Kwakye's British record of 7.08 s and, being 19 years old, became the fastest ever teenager at 60 m.^[4]

References