Sprinter prepares in style with gold

ORPINGTON teenager Dina Asher-Smith warmed up for this month’s European Youth Olympic Festival in fine style by claiming gold in the inter-girls’ 200m at the Aviva English schools’ track & field championships.

The 15-year-old Newstead Wood School pupil dominated the field to finish well clear in 24.38s, meaning she left Gateshead with gold and a new personal best under her belt.

Her time would have put Asher-Smith within a whisker of gold in the senior girls’ race above her and the Blackheath & Bromley Harrier admitted the day could not have gone much better.

“I ran 24.38s and that’s a personal best by a tenth of a second which I am delighted with,” said Asher-Smith, who will fly off to Turkey for European Youth Olympic Festival, which begins on July 23.

“I won gold last year in the junior girls so this was my first year in the inter girls so I was really happy to win it. I started off in cross-country and then I got scouted and it was decided I was better at sprinting.

“My coach John Blackie has been a huge influence on me.

“He has been guiding me since I was very young and even when he wasn’t my coach, he was always there to talk to which has been a big thing.

“Later this month I am representing Great Britain at the European Youth Olympics in Turkey and I really want to run well there and do everyone proud so winning gold here is the perfect warm-up for that.”

Asher-Smith wasn’t the only Bromley success story to emerge from the championships in Gateshead, as 14-year-old Yemisi Sofolarin claimed silver in the junior girls’ discus.

Sofolarin, a pupil at James Allen’s Girls’ School, missed out on gold by nearly a metre but was delighted to have claimed a personal best in a sport she only really pursues for pleasure.

“I threw 34.05m which is a new personal best for me, just over my previous of 33.96m and I’ve only been doing this sport for two years now,” said Sofolarin.

“My dad pushes me really hard, he gets me to train and gives me motivational talks and I really appreciate that.

“But I don’t see myself ever competing professionally, I do it for fun.

“It’s enjoyable and good for fitness but I don’t really want to be really well built like the professionals.

“I don’t want to do sport for my career.”

The Aviva English schools’ track & field Championships is part of the Aviva Athletics Academy, which encourages and enables children to get involved in athletics.

For more information, visit aviva.co.uk/athletics