AFP, Paris :
Dina Asher-Smith once watched up close as Jessica Ennis-Hill won Olympic heptathlon gold and now Britain’s greatest ever female sprinter hopes the roles will be reversed in Paris.
Asher-Smith carried bags for athletes at the London Games 2012 and watched one of her heroines Ennis-Hill take the title on what became known by the hosts as ‘Super Saturday’ as Greg Rutherford won the long jump and Mo Farah the 10,000 metres.
At 28 this could be Asher-Smith’s last chance of securing an elusive Olympic individual medal at 100metre sprint or 200metre sprint.
In a neat flip, Ennis-Hill will be watching from the BBC studio in the Stade de France.
Asher-Smith has already emulated Ennis-Hill and her other athletics role model Christine Ohuruogu in winning her first global title — the 200m world outdoor title in 2019 — at 23, the same age they won their maiden crowns.
With her morale boosted by her second European 100metre sprint title in Rome in June, she pits her wits against world 100metre sprint champion Sha’Carri Richardson and the Jamaicans are bound to be strong.
Stepping up into the 200metre sprint, she will find Jamaica’s world champion Shericka Jackson and American Gabby Thomas, who produced a remarkable come-from-behind run to win the London Diamond League meeting on Saturday as Asher-Smith faded to third.
“We’re definitely in the golden age of women’s sprinting and it’s great to be acknowledged in that group,” the Briton told Eurosport.
“We’ve been in the golden age of women’s sprinting for a while now — the times on the women’s side, what it takes to make the podium, what it takes to make the final, it’s incredibly fast.
“It just pushes you to really fulfil your potential.”
Ennis-Hill remains a believer that Asher-Smith is a contender.
“She’s had a good winter, she’s not had any particular niggles and she’s consistently built for Paris, so I think she can be right up there in the medals, definitely,” Ennis-Hill told The Standard.
“She knows the field for both the 100metre sprint and 200metre sprint will be absolutely phenomenal. But she’s also got the talent to do it.”
Asher-Smith had been guided for nearly 20 years by coach John Blackie but last year she made the decision to move to the United States.
It was Blackie who Asher-Smith dedicated her 200m world title to as he had seen “special things” in her as an eight-year-old. They remain close.