Dina Asher-Smith says she’s entering a “new phase” of her career, realizing that she can exceed her past expectations, despite the disappointment of missing the 100m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 28-year-old, the fastest woman in Britain, didn’t make the Olympic 100m final in August but rebounded quickly, narrowly missing out on a medal in the 200m by just two-hundredths of a second and later earning silver in the 4x100m relay.
This year has been full of transformation for Asher-Smith, as she changed her coaching team for the first time and moved her training base to the United States. The 2019 world 200m champion, who has earned three Olympic relay medals, had been hoping to break through with her first individual Olympic medal in Paris after making a strong start following her relocation to Austin, Texas.
Following a disappointing showing at the 2023 World Championships—where she finished eighth in the 100m and seventh in the 200m—Asher-Smith decided to end her 19-year partnership with her childhood coach, John Blackie. This decision led her to move overseas to train under Edrick Floreal, whose elite squad includes St. Lucia’s Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred and Ireland’s rising star, Rhasidat Adeleke.
Early results from this new coaching setup have been promising. Asher-Smith won European 100m gold in Rome ahead of the Olympics, securing her first major international title in five years, and ran her fastest 200m time in two years at the London Diamond League meet in July. But despite these achievements, she was left heartbroken when she couldn’t deliver her desired performance at the Stade de France.
After being eliminated in the 100m semi-final in Paris, Asher-Smith struggled to contain her emotions during an interview following her 200m heat the next day, still feeling the weight of the previous night’s disappointment. “I was very upset, but I was determined not to let the 100m affect my performance in the 200m,” she said. “I had to focus, and as soon as I felt the emotions coming on, I knew I needed to step away to stay mentally strong for the race ahead.”
She attributed her 100m frustration to mistakes in her preparation, which led her to run with “too much tension.” Looking back, she added, “I think I’ve processed it. Athletes will always have different opinions when they retire, but for now, I’m confident that the next Olympic cycle will be full of great achievements.”
Instead of letting the 100m race define her Olympic journey, Asher-Smith finished the season on a high note. She claimed victory at the Lausanne Diamond League with a season-best time of 10.88 seconds, ran 10.89 in Zurich, and finished second to her training partner Alfred at the Diamond League final in Brussels.
Looking ahead to next year, which marks the second year of this new chapter in her career, Asher-Smith has the chance to expand her tally of global medals at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Importantly, she feels there’s much more to accomplish in the sport, noting that the outlook on how long female athletes can compete is shifting.
“There are many things I want to do in life, but I still have a few goals I want to achieve in athletics,” she explained. “It’s been a transformative year—new environment, new training group, new race schedule, and a different approach to competition. This has made me rethink my abilities and realize that I can achieve far more than I ever imagined.”
