Reigning European 100m gold medallist Dina Asher-Smith talks about how the world champion is making a big impact, but also how she is thriving ahead of Paris 2024 thanks to the American way

When you think of international womens sprinting in recent years, Jamaica is the nation that immediately stands out. While the men have struggled since the retirement of the likes of Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell (albeit that may be about to change), the likes of Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson have been leading the way when it comes to the worlds fastest females.

Those three, in fact, led a clean sweep of the womens Olympic 100m medals in Tokyo three years ago a feat they went on to repeat at the 2022 World Championships.

After such a flood of medals in the shortest showpiece sprint, though, the tide was turned last summer when an American stood at the top of a womens global 100m podium for the first time since 2017.

ShaCarri Richardson has made a huge impact on her sport, both on and off the track. After scraping into the world final by the skin of her teeth, she produced and unforgettable run in Budapest to win the world title from lane eight. Her goal at the Paris Olympics is the same, though she will hope for rather smoother passage than having to rely on a fastest losers spot to reach the final this time around.

Like her compatriot Noah Lyles, the 24-year-old was at the heart of the Netflix documentary series Sprint that World Athletics have insisted is making waves across the watching world.

From her at times confrontational personality, through to her distinctive style and her searing speed, Richardsons profile is most certainly on the rise. It will skyrocket should she reach the Olympics promised land and one of her fellow sprinters sees a real star in the making.

Dina Asher-Smith now lives and trains in the US and, though she admits she has not watched Sprint yet, the Briton has seen the Richardson effect in full flow close up.

Removing the disgraced drugs cheat Marion Jones from the equation, Gail Devers is the last American woman to have won the womens 100m Olympic title, when she successfully defended her title in 1996.

Devers success followed that of the unforgettable yet eternally controversial Florence Griffith-Joyner, who won the Olympic 100m and 200m double in 1988, while Evelyn Ashford was 100m champion in Los Angeles four years earlier.

Richardson, having missed out on Tokyo after testing positive for marijuana, will be in Olympic action for the first time at the Stade de France on Friday morning (August 2) during the womens 100m heats.

Asher-Smith will be taking part in her third Games when she takes to the purple track and admits we may be watching the emergence of the next big American sprinting force.

I think America was definitely overdue a star that crossed over into the mass landscape, says the 2019 200m world champion. Theyve got world record-holders, theyve got Olympic medallists, theyve got some of the finest athletes that we have seen in this sport for a very long time, as a nation.

But very few of them crossed over into the American consciousness. Youve got lots of superstars that have already existed in Jamaica, in the UK youve got Mo [Farah]  youve got so many cultural superstars for their own nations.

But I think its been a while since Americas had one [in track and field] so I think its great. Its a huge market. Its good for the sport and its just been good to see America have that presence, have that kind of person that crosses over and hopefully in America it will hasten a lot of other athletes crossing over. Its a good thing for everyone.

With Thompson-Herah injured and Jackson opting only to run the 200m, it leaves the path a little clearer for Richardson in Paris. Saint Lucias Julien Alfred will have something to say about that, however, as will Fraser-Pryce and Asher-Smith.

The Briton, who trains with Alfred under coach Edrick Floreal in Texas after the mutual decision to part ways with her long-time mentor John Blackie, says she has been thriving under the relentlessly optimistic outlook to which she is becoming Stateside.

I think they have a very different mentality when it comes to track and field and running [in America] says Asher-Smith, who won European 100m gold in June. If you were to say: I want to go to the moon, they would be like: How can I help you do that?

Thats mind-blowing and I think Ive really flourished in that environment. Lets chase this goal, lets go and even if we dont quite make it, if we are shooting for the moon, were going to be in a really good position anyway, because we were on this path.

They really celebrate people and cherish their achievements. I have really been enjoying that.

Asher-Smiths fellow Briton Daryll Neita will also line up in the 100m in the French capital. The Italy-based European 200m silver medallist created headlines ahead of last months London Diamond League by saying she wanted to destroy her national rival and 4x100m relay colleague among others when it comes to individual competition.

Asher-Smith, who first insists I get along with her, can absolutely see where her team-mate is coming from.

When you race people, you want to win, I always say that you want to win, says the 28-year-old. This is sprinting, this is track and field. When youre not racing, you will be cool because you respect the hard work, you respect the discipline [involved]. But, as a competitor, that person has to step on the line and thats the same for any of the women that youre racing.

When youre not in a race capacity, you can sit around, you can have a laugh and when this all does come to an end, these people that you competed against, if youre on good terms with them, these are your team-mates.

They are some of the only people that can truly relate to what youve done for [however many] years of your life like stepping into a full stadium and going through that adrenaline rush, going on that emotional journey, having the ups and the downs. There are very few people in the world that can truly relate to that.

So yeah when youre on track as the athlete you want to run the race that is going to get you across the line first but when thats done there are also people that youve worked with and colleagues that youve shared memories and travelled the world with. So it goes both ways and that approach is perfectly normal, perfectly healthy, for how to be a great competitor.

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