Dina takes huge strides forward with world 100m silver as Jamaican makes her way back to the very top thanks to another golden moment

Dina Asher-Smith’s star has been on a steady rise for some time now but the 23-year-old moved into a new stratosphere altogether by winning 100m silver at the IAAF World Championships in Doha.

She lowered her own British record to 10.83 (0.1 m/sec) behind the remarkable, world-leading 10.71 performance of Jamaican gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to land her nation’s first ever individual women’s 100m medal in world championships history.

Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast took bronze in 10.90, while Olympic champion Elaine Thompson finished out of the medals in fourth place after clocking 10.93.

Two-time world 200m champion Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands was unable to contest the final due to an adductor problem she felt after qualifying in the semi-finals.

Fraser-Pryce, although beaten by Asher-Smith to the Diamond League title earlier this summer, had gone into the final looking like the favourite, having been fastest throughout qualifying and laying down an ominous marker of 10.80 in the opening heat and 10.81 in the semi-final.

She was a convincing winner and the 32-year-old two-time Olympic and now eight-time world champion has returned to the pinnacle of her sport following the birth of her son Zyon in 2017.

Yet Asher-Smith, who had attempted to play down expectations despite consistently attention-grabbing performances throughout the summer, is at the vanguard of the next generation and looked entirely at home as she convincingly took second in what was the first 100m world championships event of her career.

There can be no doubting now that last year’s triple European champion has become a key player on the sprinting stage.

“I’ve worked so hard for this and hopefully I’ll go on to bigger things,” said the Blackheath & Bromley athlete, winner of Britain’s 100th world championships medal.

“I thought ‘this is your time to go’ and I came away with a PB and national record. I’d have loved to win today but Shelly-Ann is an absolute legend and I’m happy. For me it’s always been to stay focused and keep my eye on the prize.

“I’ve not done 100m at a world champs before so it was a new experience for me at this level and I couldn’t have done it without my coaching team.”

There is no time to rest for Asher-Smith as he now turns her attention to the 200m.

“We all have to dare to dream (of 200m gold),” she said. “We all do, it’s a championship.”

Fraser-Pryce celebrated the moment with her son on the track and admitted to taking particular satisfaction in this victory.

“Standing here having done it again at 32, and holding my baby, is a dream come true,” she said. “I had no sleep last night. Last time I was at a major championships was 2016 and I just could not sleep with nerves. But with mental toughness you will get what you want.

“I can’t believe it. I worked so hard to be back. The field was so strong I had to come good here and I’m so excited to come out with victory. I just wanted to nail my start, which I did and in the end I was just making sure to get to the line and not leaving anything to chance.”

On the way to the final, Asher-Smith and Ta Lou both ran 10.87 in winning their semi-finals, the stage at which British duo Daryll Neita and Imani Lansiquot bowed out following runs of 11.18 (0.8) for fourth and 11.35 (-0.4) in their respective races.

Women’s 100m final stats
Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce (JAM)           10.71 WL         0.134
Dina Asher-Smith (GBR)                    10.83 NR         0.129
Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV)                   10.90               0.171
Elaine Thompson (JAM)                     10.93               0.143
Murielle Ahoure (CIV)                         11.02 SB          0.142
Jonielle Smith (JAM)                          11.06               0.117
Teahna Daniels (USA)                        11.19               0.156
Dafne Schippers (NED)                       DNS

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