Dina Asher-Smith: Meet the new golden girl of British athletics who stunned with triple win at Euro championships
History graduate Asher-Smith, 22, has become a force in athletics and is being tipped for Olympic gold in 2020
A STAR was born in Berlin over the weekend.
Where Jessica Ennis-Hill once reigned supreme, Dina Asher-Smith has now risen to take her place.
The 22-year-old stunned the world to win THREE gold medals at the European Championships in Germany.
The sprint sensation not only dominated the field, scooping the top prize in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, but she did it in record-breaking fashion.
She became the first Brit to achieve that feat since the Euros began in 1934.
Asher-Smith, who was born and raised in Orpington, south east London, also set new British records in both the 100m and 200m.
What they said
- "She is the complete package and now it is just a case of trying to eke out the little improvements in all phases of the race and just be a fraction better... Is she capable of winning gold in Tokyo? Absolutely."
4x Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson
- "Dina is simply a class apart... she is the standard in the world right now, she’s very much the top of the heap."
2x Olympic gold medallist Seb Coe
- "What she’s done is incredible. It’s better than anything I’ve seen in my time at UK Athletics, really... I honestly think this is the beginning."
UK Athletics performance director, Neil Black
In the 100m, Asher-Smith shaved 0.07s off her own record, running in 10.85s in the final.
Her performance in the 200m was even more impressive, as Asher-Smith became the first British woman to ever run sub-22s - finishing with gold in 21.89s.
Both were world leading times in 2018 and Asher-Smith is now being tipped to be in with a massive chance of Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.
But it's away from the track where Asher-Smith is proving to be the heir to Ennis-Hill's throne.
The gorgeous Londoner has proved herself to be a hugely fun, charismatic star.
In interviews she always has a smile plastered on her face, while donning a tiara after the 200m final won her lots of fans.
In an interview with just ahead of the Championships, Asher-Smith revealed a little sneak into her life off the track.
She even admitted she wears more make-up while running than she would on a night out with friends.
Asher-Smith said: "I wear far more make-up to compete, the whole fixing spray, everything.
"It’s because you're on TV, and it’s part of your moment, isn't it? You wouldn't want to be looking dishevelled."
In the same interview, Asher-Smith also revealed she stays loyal to London in a lot of her musical taste.
"I've got a really close affinity to AJ Tracey, Skepta," she added, "they’ve been amazing for so long, especially Skepta, he’s been iconic in that scene.
"I see them breaking out of the niche market and becoming far more powerful, it’s really nice to see.
"It makes you really proud to be from London, ‘cause obviously we've known for ages."
Asher-Smith revealed one her role models were tennis icon Serena Willaims - "because she's obviously the queen" - as well as six-time Olympic gold medallist Allyson Felix.
"She does it all with such grace and poise."
Asher-Smith is not all beauty and fast-twitch muscles, either, she has the brains to match.
In 2017, history-making Asher-Smith fittingly graduated from King's College London with a degree in History.
Her dissertation was on the impact jazz had on social integration in the US.
She said about the decision to head to uni: "For us in particular, as women in sport, we were always told make sure that you’ve got something else.
"Because you can get one injury and you can be done – but also, even if you’ve done really well, particularly in track and field, sometimes you don’t get paid like the same amount as men.
"Track and field in particular, it’s so competitive, you can be the best in the world one year, and the next year literally you will not get paid."
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But there was only one thing on Asher-Smith's mind after she completed her historic treble at the weekend.
"I really want fast food. It’s been a long time since I had it," she said on Monday.
"Before I came out here I kept driving past KFC and, 'Oh my goodness . . . '
"I asked my coach how much harm could it do and he said, ‘You don’t want to find out do you?'"