European Athletics Championships: Dina Asher-Smith steps up Olympic preparations and reclaims 100m title - 'I'm excited'
Published 09/06/2024 at 23:31 GMT+1
Dina Asher-Smith has claimed her second European Athletics Championship 100m title after storming to gold in Rome on Sunday. Asher-Smith, who last won European 100m gold in Berlin six years ago, delivered the fastest time of anyone in Europe in the semi-finals as she continued her preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer. She is now a five-time European gold medallist.
Asher-Smith 'very disappointed' with 100m final display
Video credit: TNT Sports
Dina Asher-Smith reclaimed the 100m European Athletics Championship title with a powerful display in Rome on Sunday to win gold.
After a slow start out of the blocks, the 28-year-old stormed through the field to win by a narrow margin, crossing the line in 10.99 seconds to seal her second European 100m title just 47 days before the Olympic Games get underway in Paris.
The Brit produced the fastest time in Europe this season as she booked her spot in the final with a time of 10.96, and she carried the momentum into the decisive race.
"I’m in a great place but, when you’ve got a few new things to get your head round, sometimes it does take a little bit of time,” Asher-Smith told BBC Sport after the race.
She continued: "Overall I’m really happy that I’m six to eight months into a new set-up and I’m here putting together performances like this back to back."
Looking ahead to the Olympic Games, she added: "I’m very excited.
"I think a European Olympics is going to be so much fun and, if I am being honest, my mentality this year is just chill out and have a great time."
Poland’s Ewa Swoboda finished second, 0.04 seconds slower than Asher-Smith, while Zaynab Dosso claimed bronze in her home race.
Asher-Smith’s compatriot Amy Hunt, 22, also qualified for the final but finished seventh with a time of 11.15.
Asher-Smith’s gold was the third medal of the evening session for Great Britain after Lizzie Bird tasted success in the 3000m steeplechase and retained the bronze medal she won in Munich two years ago.
There was controversy surrounding the race, as winner Alice Finot was disqualified for an "infringement of the inside border", which briefly promoted Bird to silver.
But the decision was deemed too harsh, and the France star’s time was reinstated as Germany’s Gesa Krause was the confirmed silver medallist, with Bird settling for back-to-back bronze medals.
Britain’s second accolade of the evening session came in the 1500m, as Georgia Bell picked up the silver medal with Ireland’s Ciara Mageean stunning the field to win gold.
Elsewhere, after success in the 800m semi-finals on Saturday, Elliott Giles placed seventh in Sunday’s final, while 24-year-old Jake Norris finished 10th in the hammer throw.
Morgan Lake attempted to collect Britain’s first gold medal of the championships in the final of the women’s high jump, but she failed in her third attempt to reach the 1.93m mark and was eliminated in sixth position.
- Jacobs retains 100m title as Glave takes bronze, Mills secures 5000m silver
- Hauger-Thackery leads GB to half-marathon team gold at Euros, wins individual bronze
- Hinchcliffe becomes first European to win men’s 100m at NCAA Championships
There are still plenty of medal hopes up for grabs for Britain at the championships.
Charlie Dobson made light work of his men’s 400m semi-final to finish first ahead of Germany's Jean Paul Bredau, crossing the line in a relatively comfortable 44.65s - the fastest semi-final time in the event's history at a European Championships.
The Colchester-born runner will compete for a gold medal in Monday’s final but will face stiff competition from Italy’s Luca Sito who stormed to victory in the earlier semi in a national record of 44.75.
Laviai Nielsen qualified for the 400m final in a perfect start to the evening session for Britain, with a personal best of 50.54s in the opening women’s semi.
European No. 1 Natalia Kaczmarek of Poland will also compete in Monday’s final after she strolled to victory in a comfortable time of 50.71s in the second semi.
However, British pair Alex Haydock-Wilson and Victoria Ohuruogu fell short in their 400m qualification races and were eliminated.
Thanks to Asher-Smith’s gold in addition to the half-marathon team’s first-place finish earlier in the day, Great Britain & Northern Ireland moved up to third in the medal table behind leaders and hosts Italy, and second-place France.
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