Dina Asher-Smith makes history by winning Britain’s first sprinting gold at World Athletics Championships

For the first time in history, Britain has a female sprinter who can call themselves the best in the world. Dina Asher-Smith has the gold medal to prove it. 

Dina broke her own national record to win world 200m gold in 21.88 . Giving a clear margin of victory, with surprise silver medallist Brittany Brown, of the United States, clocking 22.22sec, and Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji  running 22.51sec for bronze.

The 23-year-old has long been considered the brightest star in British sprinting but this is her first individual senior title at world level and represents a major leap to the top of the sport.

Asher-Smith had already won a silver medal in the 100m earlier in the championships and breezed through to the 200m final handling the pressure of being hot favourite in her stride.

Parallel to her rigid training regime at Blackheath and Bromley athletics club in London, Asher-Smith continued her studies, she graduated with a degree in history from Kings College London in 2017.

Asher-Smith joins the likes of Fatima Whitbread, Sally Gunnell, Paula Radcliffe, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Liz McColgan in having won individual world gold for Britain.

After the race, she admitted: “I don’t think it has sunk in, but between now and the last championships, we knew I could do it, but to actually do it…

“It means so much.

She thanked her parents and family for supporting her.

“You’re only the favourite if you go out and perform how people expect you to and I was really focused on putting together a good race.

“I dreamt of this but now it’s real,” she said.