Muscle Fitness Muscle & Fitness UK - April 2018 | Page 119

FA ST & F U R IOUS-LY H A PPY
That disappointment soon turned
into elation within days though.
“When it came to the Olympic final
I was really nervous. Great Britain
hadn’t won a medal in the womens
relay for over thirty years, since 1984
in Los Angeles, and we felt that we
COULD really do something special.
But there are so many variables when
it comes to the relay” she recalls
without hesitation, “So many things
are out of your control - some other
team can end up in your lane, their
baton can fly into you and you’re like
‘what is happening?’ do you know
what I mean haha?”. All joking aside,
her biggest concern as she stood on
the third bend at the Olympic Stadium
before the relay final started “was not
letting my team-mates down. I knew
it meant a lot to me, but I always find
relays a bit more nerve-wracking” she
explains with real honesty. “When you
compete by yourself and it goes well
then great, and if it doesn’t you will
be annoyed but you’ve only really let
yourself down, plus your coaches and
the people who have worked closely
with you. But if you mess up in a
relay then that is three other people’s
careers, and you never know where
in their journey they are. It could be
their last ever chance to do something
special, so I was very nervous”.
The nerves must have helped them
though because Dina, assisted by
Daryll Neita, Desiree Henry and Asha
Philip got the baton around safely,
they did their job and they won the
bronze medal. “I was so happy after
that. I couldn’t believe that I had
been to my first Olympics and got
a medal, it was so unexpected and
I was VERY happy”.
With the 2018 Commonwealth
Games approaching Asher-Smith
is feeling very confident with her
preparations. “Since Rio I have
improved a lot but a few injuries mean
that I haven’t quite had chance to
express that yet. I have no idea who
I will be racing against in Australia yet
but I feel good, and I am really excited
about the Commonwealth Games...
I think mainly because it is in
Australia which helps haha, to be in
the sun, to represent Team England,
I honestly can’t wait”.
One last topic of conversation that
came up was the future of Athletics
now that Usain Bolt has retired - a
potential banana skin of a question
which this little pocket-rocket knocked
out of the ground for six with ease.
“Bolt is a legend and he dominated his
events for eight years, but now fans
will be drawn by the unpredictability
of the sport. It might even be a little
bit more exciting not knowing what
is going to happen. There could be
someone who is favourite to win and
then during the race they start doing
some weird stuff and end up going
backwards, and you’re like ‘oh my god
who is this kid from i-don’t-even-
know-where?’ who ends up winning.
You genuinely don’t know what is
going to happen, and I think that is
more exciting personally”.
If you are wondering who the next
big stars of Athletics are going to be,
Dina has tipped the female Belgian
Heptathlete Nafi Thiam who won the
Olympic gold at a canter on her way
to the beach in Miami and American
sprinter Christian Coleman who
recently broke the 60m world record.
This girl’s smile is infectious and you
cannot help but smile when you are
around her. She is as laid-back as
she is determined, and as jovial as
she is serious,