2019-09-30_Hello!_Magazine_UK

EXCLUSIVE: THE WORLD’S FASTEST WOMAN

REVEALS HER PRE-RACE RITUAL AS SHE

GOES FOR GOLD IN THE OLYMPICS

DINA ASHER-SMITH

S

heis widelytippedtowina gold

atnextyear’sOlympicGames

inTokyo,butchampionBritish

sprinterDinaAsher-Smithis taking

hersuccessinherstride.

“Theideaofsomeonesayingmy

nameinthe samesentence as

‘Olympicgold’blowsmymind,”

shetellshello!inourexclusive

interview.“It’sanhonourtobe

thoughtofinthatcapacity.I never

imaginedI’dbeinthisposition.”

Competingatthehighestlevel

comeswithhugepressurebutthe

23-year-oldathlete,whowasbornin

OrpingtoninGreaterLondon’s

south-east,hasa uniquewayof

keepingfocusedbeforebigraces.

“TheclosestI havetoa ritualis

puttingmymake-upon.I putit on

slowlyandmethodicallyandit

allowsmetofocus.Youhavetokeep

yourhandsstillandconcentrate

whenyou’reapplyingmake-up.It

occupiesmy mindso I’mnot

thinkingtoomuchabouttherace.”

ToppingthepodiuminTokyo

wouldbea dreamcometruefor

Dina.A goldforthe200m– and

possiblyanothermedalforthe

100m– wouldsitnicelyalongside

thethreegoldsshewonat lastyear’s

EuropeanChampionshipsandthe

bronzeshewonforthe4x100m

relayat the 2016 OlympicsinRio.

SheholdstheBritishrecordsin

thewomen’s100mand200m,and

wasdubbedthe“fastestwomanin

theworld”afterachievingthejoint-

fastestworld100mtimein 2018 at

theEuropeanChampionships.

“I’mgratefulI candowhatI love

everydayandbegoodat it,”shesays.

SECONDTHOUGHTS

Dina’scurrentfocusis theWorld

ChampionshipsinDoha,which

kickoffon 27 September.

“I’mseeingwhereI cangetextra

hundredthsorthousandthsofa

second– itsoundstinybutyou

couldwinorlosebythatmuch.”

Withherfocusontime,it is no

surprisethatshehasteamedup

withSwissluxurywatchmakers

Hublottobecomea friendofthe

brand:“It’sa naturalpartnership.”

WorkingwithHublotalsoallows

hertoindulgeherloveoffashion.

“I liketoexperimentwithcolours

andshapes.I havea happyand

vibrantpersonalityandI wantthat

tocomeacrossinthewayI dress.”

Fornow,though,she’sstickingto

Lycraandtrainers– andworkingon

gettingevenfaster.“Trackandfield

is a ficklesport.Oneyearyoucanbe

topoftheworld,thenan18-year-old

popsupandyou’renolongerthe

best.Assoonasyoustopworking

hard,someonewillcomeand

runstraightpastyou.”

PHOTOS:

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IMAGES.

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WATCH:

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OF

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(RIGHT)

WATCH:

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CERAMIC

INTERVIEW:EMILYHORAN

Dina adopts her sprinter’s start position. The H

British athlete (above right, at the 2019 British

Athletics Championships) is looking at ways

to shave fractions of a second from her run

times ahead of next year’s Olympic Games

Dina is a Hublot friend of the brand. Visit

hublot.com.

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