European Athletics Championships 2024: Dina Asher-Smith wins 100m gold in Rome
Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith blazed to victory in the women’s 100m on the third day of the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome.
Breaking free from the blanket finish for second place, she ran a time of 10.99 seconds to claim her first major title since winning the women's 200m at the 2019 World Athletics Championships. While the race wasn’t perfect, it was enough for her to claim victory at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday 9 June.
Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) competes in the women's 100m final at the 2024 European Athletics Championships.
The two-time Olympic bronze medalist in the women’s 4x100m relay was the second slowest out of the blocks, but powered ahead of her rivals on the way to victory. She was jovial, but also slightly self-critical after the race. She told Olympics.com: “I was just focused on executing my race plan."
“The gun went, I probably could have reacted a little bit better. I was like oopsie!” laughed Asher-Smith. “Ultimately I just focused on executing the second half of my race.
“I know that my second half right now is really, really quick and that we’ve worked really hard on that. I would have loved to have married that perhaps with the first half of the race, but you know, it is what it is. It’s done now,” she added.
Behind Asher-Smith, the race for second place was especially tight. Poland’s Ewa Swoboda out-lunged Italy’s Zaynab Dosso on the line. Both finished with a time of 11.03 and had to wait for a photo finish.
Arms wrapped around each other, they celebrated their respective placings after receiving confirmation on-screen at the Stadio Olimpico. The Italian crowd let out a huge roar when Dosso’s third place was announced.
Luxembourg’s Patrizia Van Der Weken finished just off the podium with a time of 11.04, while 2022 European champion Gina Lückenkemper finished in fifth, clocking 11.07.
The race offered some critical insights into the fitness of top contenders in the women’s 100m ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
While Great Britain has yet to confirm their line-up for the women’s 4x100m relay, Dina Asher-Smith will surely want to chase her second medal at the 2024 European Athletics Championships as she builds towards Paris 2024.
2024 European Athletics Championships women's 100m final - full results
1. Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) 10.99🥇
2. Ewa Swoboda (POL) 11.03 [.025]🥈
3. Zaynab Dosso (ITA) 11.03 [.029]🥉
4. Patrizia Van Der Weken (LUX) 11.04
5. Gina Lückenkemper (GER) 11.07
6. Gémima Joseph (FRA) 11.08
7. Amy Hunt (GBR) 11.15 [.143]
8. Mujinga Kambundji (SUI) 11.15 [.148]