Dina Asher-Smith has consistently been in the news during this Olympics. Most of this can be credited to her high-profile rivalry with Gabby Thomas. It allegedly started when Thomas won the Diamond League in London this year. During the final, Asher-Smith seemed on her way to victory for most of the race. However, a surge in speed from Thomas helped her secure the victory, while Asher-Smith had to settle for bronze. St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred won the silver. Since then, Asher-Smith has harbored animosity towards Thomas, which reached its peak during the 200m qualification rounds in Paris.

The British athlete was coming off a disappointing 100m qualification where she failed to qualify for the finals. Thus, she knew that it was imperative to qualify for the 200m final. She completed the race with a time of 22.31 seconds, which was enough to finish second and qualify for the finals. However, she couldn’t keep up with Thomas, who secured the first position with a time of 21.86 seconds. After the race, when Gabby Thomas went to greet her, she refused to shake hands with her and allegedly told her to shut up. This has elevated the rivalry to another level, and fans are eagerly awaiting the outcome in the finals. Before the race, let’s delve into Asher-Smith’s childhood and background, as these have played a major role throughout her career.

Who are Dina Asher-Smith’s parents?

Dina Asher-Smith was born in Orpington on December 4th, 1995. Her father’s name is Winston, who moved to England as a child from his birthplace, Jamaica. Her mother’s name is Julie. Asher-Smith spent most of her childhood engaged in activities related to athletics and staying fit. At the age of eight, she enrolled in the Black Heath and Bromley Harriers Athletic Club, where she met John Blackie. Blackie became a pivotal figure in her career, coaching her through many triumphs. After 19 years, she changed her coaching and moved to Texas to be coached by Edrick Floreal.

It was a major change in her career as it sent her into unfamiliar territories. She said, “It was a very big shift for me. I met coach [Floréal], toured the facilities, then went back to London to pack up things. Ten days later I was living here.” While the track star has trained diligently every single day on her way to win the Olympic gold medal, she is enjoying life in United States, partaking in numerous activities like pottery and golf to relieve some stress.

Does Dina Asher-Smith have a romantic partner?

Dina Asher-Smith is very private about her love life and it is tough to speculate whether she is committed right now. She broke up with fellow sprinter Zharnel Hughes in 2018, her only public relationship. During the breakup, she had specified that she is a very private person and won’t give much details about her personal life. She said, “We are fine, we are still friends. I won’t go into the details because that is personal life,”.

She has kept this promise since then and steered her life away from the tabloids. Now, her eyes are only on the 200 meter gold medal, which would take her already storied career to different heights.