Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith used her championship experience to clinch 100m gold at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships with a time of 10.99 seconds, regaining the title she first won in Berlin six years ago. Despite a slow start caused by a quick reaction from a neighboring runner, Asher-Smith’s composure and discipline saw her surge ahead to claim victory.
Poland’s Ewa Swoboda and Italy’s Zaynab Dosso both clocked 11.03 seconds, with Swoboda taking silver by a margin of just 0.004 seconds. Luxembourg’s Patrizia Van Der Weken finished fourth in 11.04 seconds, having set a national record of 11.00 seconds in the semi-finals.
This victory marks a significant comeback for Asher-Smith, who has faced a series of injuries and a change in her training setup since winning the world 200m title in 2019. After parting ways with her long-time coach John Blackie to train with Edrick Floreal in Austin, Texas, she has expressed renewed ambition for her career.
This win also serves as redemption for Asher-Smith, who was left frustrated at Munich 2022 when she had to relinquish all three of her titles from Berlin. With this victory, she has made a strong statement of her intent to compete at the highest level and is looking forward to further successes leading up to the Paris Olympics.
