Olympics 2020: Team GB’s Dina Asher-Smith fails to qualify for the 100m final

Team GB medal hope Dina Asher-Smith failed to qualify for the women’s 100m final at Tokyo 2020.

Asher-Smith ran a time of 11.05 seconds in the first semifinal, which saw her finish third behind winner Elaine Thompson-Herah from Jamaica and Switzerland’s Ajla del Ponte.

– Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Schedule | Medal Tracker

Asher-Smith then faced a nervous wait to see if her time would be enough to advance as one of the two fastest losers, but it was not quick enough. She finished outside of the top eight, missing out on a spot in the final in the process.

The 25-year-old, seen as a contender for the 100m title, was struggling with an injury in the build up to the Olympic Games. She withdrew from the British Grand Prix earlier in July with a “tight hamstring.”

Asher-Smith started the race well but then fell behind the front-runners. Former Great Britain sprinter Marlon Devonish said on the BBC her run didn’t “look like the Dina Asher-Smith we are used to,” while Denise Lewis said Asher-Smith was “a bit ring-rusty.”

Asher-Smith qualified for the semifinals having run a 11.07 in the heats but will now switch focus to the 200m, with qualifying on Monday, and the 4x100m. But her performance will come as a huge disappointment to Asher-Smith who was regarded as one of Britain’s real hopes for a medal in track and field.

While Asher-Smith missed out on a spot in the final, Team GB will have Daryll Neita competing after she secured the last qualifying spot after running an 11-second 100m in the third semifinal.