Dina Asher-Smith says she has to get faster to win Olympic gold
- From the section Athletics
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Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith says she will have to "get a little bit faster" to challenge for gold at the World Championships and Olympic Games.
Track legend Michael Johnson believes the 22-year-old is capable of winning Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 after she won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the European Championships.
"It's not easy," Asher-Smith told the BBC. "It's the Olympic Games.
"There are so many talented women out there running unbelievable times."
Asher-Smith, who will race in the 200m at the Diamond League event in Birmingham on Saturday, added: "I think we have got three or four of the fastest women of all time in action right now.
"Not all of them were at the European Championships, some of them run for America and Jamaica. It is no easy task."
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Asher-Smith won the 100m in Berlin in 10.85 seconds, the joint fastest time of the year alongside Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou.
In her "personal favourite", the 200m, the Briton ran 21.89 at the European Championships which she said "blew my mind", as she became the only woman to run under 22 seconds this year with a world-leading time.
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However, those times would have seen Asher-Smith finish third in the 100m and 200m finals at the Olympic Games in Rio two years ago, with Jamaica's Elaine Thompson winning both events in 10.71 and 21.78.
"First and foremost I have to keep training and get a little bit faster," said Asher-Smith.
"While 10.85 and 21.89 are good times and would put me in good stead at a normal World Championships and Olympics, the fantastically talented women across the world are so fast that won't let me sit here and say 'it is going to be nice and easy'.
"It's definitely not. I'm going to have to bring my A game in every single race next season and definitely for the World Championships in Doha.
"It's just a lot of hard work and lot of focusing to make sure I can hopefully put myself in the mix."
Asher-Smith will face Ta Lou in a strong 200m field at Birmingham this weekend that also includes Jamaican duo Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as well as American Jenna Prandini and Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas.
