Jessica Ennis-Hill’s heptathlon gold medal on “Super Saturday” at the 2012 Olympics inspired a young kit carrier to pursue her dream of becoming a champion — on Wednesday it came true at the World Athletics Championships for Dina Asher-Smith.
The 23-year-old wrote another page in British athletics history by delivering their first world gold in the 100m and 200m as she produced a dominant performance in the 200m to win in a new national record of 21.88 seconds.
Asher-Smith said that standing in the Olympic Stadium and watching Ennis-Hill — who was one of three British victors that night, along with Greg Rutherford in the long jump and Mo Farah in the 10,000m — inspired her to want to enjoy similar success.
Photo: Reuters
Thus it gave extra satisfaction for erudite Asher-Smith — who achieved a history degree while she was also focusing on her athletics career — that her first global title came at the same age as both of her British idols, Ennis-Hill (2009) and 400m star Christine Ohuruogu (2007).
“It means a lot to be even mentioned in the same sentence,” Asher-Smith said. “It is no secret that I admire Jess and Christine immensely.”
“What they achieved is an inspiration to me and to other women. Chrissie has even been texting me every day giving me encouragement,” she added.
Asher-Smith has come a long way since she had to be bribed with the offer of an ice cream by her parents — who were in the crowd at Khalifa International Stadium — to keep going in a cross-country race in primary school.
While she is now seen as a trailblazer for British women in sprinting, she liked to see it as a broader picture than that.
“It feels good,” Asher-Smith said. “In many walks of life, women try and push boundaries and redefine what is possible.”
“Whether it is British women or Allyson Felix and Shell-Ann Fraser-Pryce, sportswomen in general are also trying to do that in sports,” she said.
She said that the little girl who first went to an athletics track would have a hard time believing the older version was now a world champion in faraway Doha.
“She would not believe me at all,” Asher-Smith said. “I was saying earlier, weirdly enough I used my younger self as a reference when I was in the warm-up area and began to get nervous.”
“I recalled my first championships in Moscow [2013 worlds] at the age of 17,” she said. “I was literally so scared I was holding the relay baton, but my hands were so sweaty I thought it would fall out, which is not very glamorous.”
“I swore to myself I was never going to be that inexperienced ever again,” she added. “Tonight, she would not believe me at all.”
Asher-Smith, who won silver in the 100m on Sunday, said that despite her parents support, she would dedicate her gold to her coach, John Blackie, who was also in the crowd with his wife.
“I know my parents will be frustrated and I apologize,” Asher-Smith said bashfully.
“I have known him since I was eight-years-old,” she said. “Even even when I was little and still trying to jump over hurdles and do long jump, he would say: ‘Please watch yourself, stay fit please. Do not try them, because you can do special things.’”
“I did not see what he saw,” she added. “So this medal is for his patience, intelligence and wisdom.”
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