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2020 Summer Olympic Games
23 July – 8 August 2021
Tokyo, Japan
Dina Asher-Smith will look to live up to her title as the ‘fastest woman in British history’ when she competes in the 100m and 200m at the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games, set to run from 23 July to 8 August in Japan.
The 25-year-old is the reigning World Champion at 200m and a Silver Medallist at 100m at Doha 2019. She heads to Tokyo 2020 as one of the outright favourites for both events, and believes that her development on and off the track through the past year – with its Covid difficulties – has been good for her career.
“Even though everything in my life was progressive, it was changing quickly every single year. It was nice to step back and take a breath because it was a lot,” she explained.
Asher-Smith has performed solidly in the build-up to the Games, though her rivals, such as Jamaican Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and United States’ Gabrielle Thomas, have put in storming times in recent weeks that eclipse anything the Brit has posted.
However, Asher-Smith believes she will peak at just the right moment: “I didn’t watch anything in Jamaica or the US but obviously I know what’s happened,” she said.
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“The women have been running incredibly quickly this year and it’s amazing for world sprinting. I always back myself because I know what kind of shape I’m in. I definitely have faster in me. I’m in good shape, I’m in actually really, really good shape so I’m really excited. And I’m a championship performer.”
The Brit pointed out that when she had raced Fraser-Pryce and the exciting American Sha’Carri Richardson in driving rain in Gateshead last month, she emerged triumphant.
“We all run in different continents and different conditions, but when you all meet that’s what really matters,” she explained. “Obviously, the true test is when you’re all together and what you perform like under the circumstances. It’s about being mentally resilient whatever the conditions.”
Asher-Smith also reckons the Women’s 100m final (which will take place on July 31, with the 200m final on August 3) will be more exciting than the Men’s race: “I’m completely biased but yeah. There’s been so much noise around it as well, which I think is only brilliant for the sport. The more eyes, the better.”
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