Dina Asher-Smith aiming for peak perfection
After blowing the cobwebs away during early-season races, Dina Asher-Smith is confident she will find her best shape of the year when she settles into the blocks at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Performances during May and June did not inspire huge confidence, but she says: "As athletes you've got to trust the process and that timing is everything. I know those are boring phrases but they always ring true."
The 26-year-old is speaking via video from the GB holding camp in the United States. She cuts a relaxed, confident figure and, as usual, is full of chat. She even offers some friendly advice to those making the trip from Europe.
"This is the fourth time I've done this trip in the past year so I'm pretty used to the time zone change when it comes to Oregon," she says. "It is definitely a big change but just make the second day you stay awake, go bed after 9pm and stay in bed past 5.30am and it'll be okay!"
Asher-Smith is a regular in Eugene over a number of years too. She won the 100m at the World Under-20 Championships in the town in 2014 and has run at every Pre Classic at Hayward Field since 2018.
Her early season results, which included defeat over 100m to Daryll Neita at the Müller UK Championships in Manchester, were partly due to being in heavy training ahead of trying to not only peak for Eugene but to hold that good form for a six-week spell that takes in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and European Championships in Munich in August.
Unlike a marathon runner during a taper, she has enjoyed the final days leading into Eugene, too. Long painful reps in the winter and spring have turned into much shorter, sharper efforts and her demeanour is very different to 2021 when she went into the Tokyo Olympics recovering from a hamstring injury.
"A six-week peak is difficult to hold," she explains. "It's one of those things were you have to peak at the last moment (before the champs begin). It's been a very nice training camp for me so far because as you peak you do less volume. So I've had a great time running 10 metres and then 20 metres and that's about it!"
Asher-Smith shrugs off her early-season defeats too. "Everything is fresh and unwritten and that's how I see it. If championships were decided on performances beforehand then there would be no point us being here. It's all about the moment and performing when it matters."
She continues: "It's a unique opportunity to be successful in so many competitions over the next few weeks. I'm in good shape and feel good. Sometimes the times don't reflect where you're at but that's just part of the sport. I'm really happy to be going into these major championships fit and healthy. I'm motivated and I train to win. Nobody trains to come second."
Is she in UK record-breaking shape? "I hope so! Yeah, probably. But I always focus more on places than on times."
What should we expect? "Me running fast ... at the championships!" she says. "That's the kind of athlete I am."
There are good omens within her training group too. Faith Akinbileje is coached by the same man, John Blackie, at the same club, Blackheath & Bromley, and she won the European under-18 200m title in Jerusalem last week by a large margin.
"She's been so good," Asher-Smith enthuses. "I'm so happy for her. She's been running so well for ages. We don't train every single day together but some days if we have a big group session then we'll be there at the same time.
"We train at slightly different times because I can train in the day but she's still at school of course. We have a big group chat and we all told her she deserved it and that we were so proud of her.
"Her run was amazing. John's been talking to me since we've been out here (in Eugene) and we're so happy for her. She won by ages! Absolutely ages! She's über-talented ... phenomenal."
» Dina Asher-Smith's World Champs campaign starts on Saturday (July 16) with the women's 100m heats at 17:10 local time
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