"How realistic is it to be in the top three in the world and not be able to walk?" - Dina Asher-Smith on her injury before 2017 World Championships
British athlete Dina Asher-Smith recently opened up about what went through her mind after she encountered a shocking injury just before the 2017 World Athletics Championships.
The 27-year-old had emerged as one of the most promising athletes who was capable of bagging gold medals in the 200m race.
Asher-Smith has two bronze medals from the Tokyo Olympics along with a set of world championship titles under her belt. She boasts of silver medals in the 100m and 4x100m relay race, two bronze medals in the 200m and 4x100m relay, and lastly, a gold medal in the 100m race.
Dina Asher-Smith also holds the title of the fastest British woman in history after winning the silver medal in the 100m at the 2019 IAAF World Championships.
Throughout her athletics journey so far, Asher-Smith has sought to move towards perfection and never settled to give up. Similarly, before the 2017 World Championships, the young athlete’s eyes were set on potentially winning her first World Championships gold medal.
However, unfortunately, she broke her foot during a training session that year which put her participation in doubt.
In a recent interview with Elle, Dina Asher-Smith revealed her feelings at that difficult juncture:
"I went from thinking my aim of a medal was within reach to, 'How realistic is it to be in the top three in the world and not be able to walk?' I was told it would take over a year to get back to racing, which I couldn’t accept."
However, the athlete was adamant on competing at the 2017 World Championships. Within five months, Asher-Smith, along with her team, worked on her recovery so well that she was ready to participate in the mega event.
Although she was successful in competing, she managed to secure a fourth place in the women's 200m and a silver medal as part of the Great Britain 4x100m relay team.
Dina Asher-Smith frustrated at not winning in the 2023 World Athletics Championships
In the women’s 100m race at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Dina Asher-Smith secured an eighth-place finish. Sha’Carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson won the first and second places, respectively.
Although it was disappointing for the British sprinter, she then competed at the 2023 Brussels Diamond League and secured a third place in the 100m event.
After that success, Asher-Smith was found experiencing mixed emotions. In an interview with Athletics Weekly, she explained that she was happy with her timing of 10.97s. However, she was not over her disappointing performance at the World Championship.
“I am still very frustrated. I am still very upset. Most of it in the moment I could not realize much, I just knew that I needed some time that I had.”
While she is the fastest British women in the sprint events, overcoming the challenge of the American and Jamaican sprinters isn't going to be easy.