Dina Asher-Smith launches her F-bomb after winning gold in the 100m at the European Championships
Amid thunder and crackling sounds With lightning speed, Dina Asher-Smith ended her five-year wait to return to the top of the medal stand at a major international championship.
However, her reaction when she crossed the line told its own story about the dramatic European women's 100m final. “Damn it,” she whispered to herself, her face long and wide with a mixture of relief, happiness and horror at how close it all was.
After qualifying less than two hours earlier with the best result in semi-final in 10.96 seconds in Europe, Asher-Smith made a terrible start in the final but duly showed championship composure to outpace Poland's Ewa Swoboda and Italy's Zainab Dosso in the final metres.
“I didn't panic while running – it was a different story in my head,” said Asher-Smith, who won in 10.99 seconds. “It’s not usually my style of racing, but I’m excited to do another outing in the under-11 category in a different way.
“These are two performances under 11 years old – one slows down, the other speeds up. Ultimately, this is a step towards Paris in a great direction. You are happy to win any championship.”
🏅Dina Asha Smith just won European gold in the 100m. After a rather unpleasant start.
Her “damn it!” when she crosses the finish line, it's wonderful. Relief mixed with horror at how close it was. pic.twitter.com/AhnRkFWG6f
— Harry Wallop (@hwallop) June 9, 2024
European champion again! 🥇✨
🇬🇧 Dina Usher-Smith finishes strongly to win European 100m gold for the second time 🙌#BBCAthletics #Rome24 pic.twitter.com/YKiweXCt5t
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) , June 9, 2024 <р>All roads lead to the Olympics this summer, of course, but a fifth European Championships gold – and 18th major medal in 11 years – still sends a message that will be celebrated across the Atlantic.
Way behind against the best sprinters from outside Europe, Asher-Smith has clearly demonstrated the potential to run much faster at the Stade de France, where she also intends to compete in the 200m, where she won the title at the 2019 World Championships.< /p>
Usher-Smith won the 18th major medal of her career in Rome. Photo: Getty Images/Mattia Ozbot
As well as adding to the huge medal tally, victory should also provide a timely confidence boost after some significant slumps at major championships in recent years.
Asher-Smith, 28, ran 10.85 seconds at the London Diamond League in July only to feel an unexplained sensation in her legs after finishing 8th and 7th at the 100m and 200m world championships respectively last summer. < /p>
She also suffered a hamstring injury at the 2022 European Championships (this year she ran 10.83 seconds to finish fourth at the World Championships in the 100m) following heartbreak at the 2021 Olympics when a tear hamstring derailed her medal hopes.
The winning comeback also followed major upheaval on the track. In October last year, Asher-Smith made the extremely difficult and emotional decision to change coaching systems and part ways with John Blackie, who had managed her since she was eight years old at Blackheath & Bromley.
She also decided to make a lifelong move to Austin, Texas, where she is now trained by American Edric “Flo” Floreal. The new training group includes world indoor 60m champion Julien Alfred and Irish 400m runner Rasidat Adeleke, who has already won a gold medal here in the 4x400m mixed relay.
Dina Asher-Smith – European champion and future meme 🤣#BBCAthletics #Roma2024 pic.twitter.com/jRLJNczxiU
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport), June 9, 2024
Amy Hunt, who graduated from Cambridge University last year after combining athletics with an English literature degree, was also the two Britons in the 100m final and justified her selection by finishing seventh. Britain now has high hopes for the triple sprint in Rome, with Daryl Neita starting the 200m on Monday before the 4x100m relay on Wednesday evening.
Sunday's women's 1500m final also featured a number of British runners. Georgia Bell, who only returned to the sport last year after being inspired by her local Parkrun, performed brilliantly at her first major outdoor championships and won silver. The 30-year-old, who is on sabbatical from her day job in artificial intelligence, shared the lead with her teammate Gemma Reekie for much of the race.
Georgia Bell returned to running thanks to parkrun and now has a European silver medal. Photo: AFP/Anne-Christine Pujula
The relatively slow pace seemed to match the speed of 800m specialist Ricky. She duly made her move with 400 meters to go but was beaten by Bell and Irish winner Ciara Mageen in the final 200 meters to finish fifth.
“The journey has been crazy—tonight was the most fun track can have,” Bell said. “I'm so glad I'm back in the sport. I would be at home with Sunday fears about tomorrow’s work, but instead I’m here.”
Bell has asked for a sabbatical until the end of the summer pending Olympic selection, immediately after reaching the 1500m final at the World Indoor Championships in March.
“Steve Crum has been a great help to me, because in an interview with the BBC he said something like: “Georgia needs to know that if she tries to escape, she will have a good chance.” Everyone in my work had the attitude of saying, “Oh, maybe she's not bad, and maybe we should support her in the summer.”
Britain's first gold medal at these championships had been won earlier. women's half marathon team of Callie Hauger-Thackery, Abby Donnelly, Clara Evans and Lauren McNeil. Hauger-Thackery took individual bronze, with Donnelly and Evans also finishing in the top ten.
This was followed by the 3000m steeplechase, with Lizzie Bird repeating her Munich podium two years ago with another one bronze. “My two goals were to get a medal and get to the Olympic standard… so job done,” Bird said.
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