On this day in 2015, Dina Asher-Smith became the first British woman to break the 11-second barrier for the 100 metres.
The then 19-year-old history student could scarcely believe her eyes when she clocked 10.99 seconds in her heat at London’s Olympic Stadium in the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games.
In the process, she trimmed 0.03 seconds from her own British record and although she ultimately had to settle for fourth place behind Dafne Schippers in the final having run 11.06, her earlier achievement proved something of a watershed.
Asher-Smith, a box carrier at London 2012, said at the time: “I’m in the 10 seconds now so I’m absolutely over the moon.
“I felt like I was in good shape, but feeling in good shape and then doing it are two very different things.
“When I crossed the line and saw the time I was beaming. I’m really, really happy. I was like, ‘What on earth have I just run?’”
Asher-Smith’s feat proved to be a platform for future success as she built upon it to establish herself as a force on the world stage.
An Olympic bronze medallist in the 4x100m relay in Rio in 2016, she completed the sprint double and anchored the sprint relay squad to gold at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin.
However, it was at the 2019 World Championships that she made her mark with a wider audience, claiming silver in the 100 metres in 10.83, and went one better in the 200m to take the title in 21.88, both British records.
Defending her 200m title in Eugene, Oregon last week, 26-year-old Asher-Smith picked up a bronze medal, which she later dedicated to her late grandmother Sislyn Asher, behind Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson.
