Dina Asher‑Smith (born 4 December 1995) is a British track and field athlete who specializes in sprint events, primarily the 100 metres and 200 metres. She is the first British woman to win a major global title in an individual sprint event, achieving gold in the 200 m at the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
Early life and education
Asher‑Smith was born in Orpington, Greater London, England, to a Jamaican father and a mother of Indian and English descent. She attended St. Olave's Grammar School in Orpington and later studied at the University of Bath, where she earned a degree in sports performance. She began training in athletics at a young age, joining the Kent AC club and later the Newham and Essex Beagles Athletics Club.
Athletic career
Junior career
- 2014: Won a bronze medal in the 200 m at the World Junior Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
- 2014: Contributed to the British 4 × 100 m relay team that won gold at the same championships.
Senior career
- 2015: Securing her first senior international medal, Asher‑Smith earned a bronze in the 200 m at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Prague.
- 2016: Competed at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, reaching the semifinals of the 200 m and anchoring the British 4 × 100 m relay team, which placed fourth.
- 2018: Won gold in the 200 m at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, setting a personal best of 22.13 seconds.
- 2019: Captured the gold medal in the 200 m at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, with a time of 21.99 seconds, becoming the first British woman to win a global sprint title. She also secured a silver medal in the 4 × 100 m relay.
- 2020: Qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games (held in 2021 due to the COVID‑19 pandemic); she placed fourth in the 200 m final and secured a bronze medal in the 4 × 100 m relay.
- 2022: Won a silver medal in the 200 m at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade and contributed to the British 4 × 100 m relay team's gold at the European Championships in Munich.
Awards and honors
- Named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2019.
- Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to athletics.
Personal life
Asher‑Smith is a vocal advocate for mental health awareness and athlete welfare. She has spoken publicly about the pressures of elite sport and supports initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion within athletics. She maintains a presence on social media platforms where she shares training insights and engages with fans.
Legacy
Dina Asher‑Smith is regarded as one of the most prominent British female sprinters of her generation, notable for breaking national barriers in sprint events and for her contributions to relay successes. Her achievements have inspired a new cohort of British athletes, particularly women, to pursue elite sprinting at the international level.
