Page 36 - Summer2018Gazette

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Doing England and Great Britain proud in

Queensland and Berlin
Dina and Adam at the Commonwealth Games and

European Championships 2018

wealth Games at a senior level Now in Australia she was ready
Having graduated in 2017 and she opted not to double for the competition. Firstly the
from London University with upin the sprints, competing in 200 metres. She qualified by
a 2:1 History degree Dina only the 200m. She chose the winning her heat and finishing
Asher-Smith in 2018 could Gold Coast over Birmingham, second in the semi final; in the
concentrate on her next objective, which hosted the World Indoor final, Dina ran brilliantly for
the Commonwealth Games in Championships in March. She a bronze medal with a time of
the Gold Coast in Queensland, admitted to wanting to do both 22.29 beating Olympic champi-
Australia. “I have finished but she wanted the opportu- on Elaine Thompson into 4th
university which is one stress out nity to do the Commonwealth place, and finishing only 2/10th
of the way, even if I did love it” Games because it had “a lot of of a second behind the winner,
she remarked. “The impending pedigree to it. It is an oppor- Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas.
doom of dissertation and exams tunity to hone my skills, learn Having normally been training
has gone and my foot is no longer more and race against the fast- at this point in the year she
broken so that worry is gone, est in the world, which is what I “just wanted to get (myself) out
too.”. love doing.” of the fourth and fifths and
make it”.
She was also able to put two In building form for the
years of injuries behind her after Gold Coast she posted some Later in the week Dina ran in
being hindered by a hamstring impressive performances in the England’s 4 x 100m relay team
injury in 2016 and a broken foot run up to those games. At the running a strong second leg
the following year. This year she Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow giving England an unassail-
faced a different kind of chal- in February, she clocked two able lead going into the last
lenge that of needing to reach a sub-7.10 seconds 60m times leg which was run by Lorraine
peak of form relatively early in for the first time in a one-day Ugen a former B&B athlete to
the year. “You have to remem- meeting and finished ahead of anchor the team to winning
ber that in a typical European Olympic 100m and 200m cham- gold medals, where they won
season you peak in August” pion Elaine Thompson and gold in a time of 42.46 seconds,
she said “around the European world 200m champion Dafne beating one of the favorites,
Championships and the Dia- Schippers her long standing Jamaica.
mond League finals this year… rivals. In the final, Asher-Smith
It will be interesting to see if we was a narrow second behind
can all be at that point in April. Marie Josee Ta Lou. Then in
Hopefully we can have some March at The Sydney Grand
fun and do England proud.” Prix albeit against weaker
opposition she won the 100m
This was because she was in a time of 11.24secs and a
heading to the Gold Coast, week later won a 200m in 22.90
where she would compete in the into a headwind at a meeting in
200m and 4x100m relay, Dina Nathan Queensland.
could draw on her experience
of winning a Commonwealth
youth gold in 2011 to give her
confidence in the Gold Coast.
This was her first Common-