Dina Asher-Smith can do 'something utterly remarkable' at Tokyo Olympics as she bids for golds, says Greg Rutherford

ByEurosport

Updated 19/07/2021 at 09:53 GMT

How many medals will Dina Asher-Smith win at the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer? The Team GB sprinter is set to compete in the 100m, 200m and relay, and has been in good form ahead of the competition. Greg Rutherford, who won gold in the long jump in 2012, is hopeful that Asher-Smith will enjoy a strong summer.

Greg Rutherford believes Dina Asher-Smith has the “opportunity to do something utterly remarkable” at the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer.

The fastest British woman in history has been in good form this year as she prepares for a shot at sprint gold in Tokyo.

Asher-Smith won 100m silver and 200m gold at the 2019 World Championships, and is also set to compete in the relay event with Team GB at the Olympics.

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“I think most of the pressure is going to be on Dina,” Rutherford, who won long jump gold in 2012, told Eurosport.

“Probably rightly so, she is one of the best athletes in the world, probably the best British sprinter we have ever had. She has an opportunity to do something that we haven’t associated with British sprinting since Linford Christie. We think about those moments, but we don’t think about British sprinting as a dominant force.

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“She has an opportunity at this Games to do something utterly remarkable. Including the relay, we have a chance to see three medals from one individual on the track, which is absolutely mind blowing.”

While Asher-Smith is one of the top sprinters in the world, the outlook for the rest of Team GB’s track and field team does not look so bright ahead of Tokyo.

However, Rutherford thinks there could be some unexpected results.

“It happens at Olympics that people win medals that people don’t expect to win medals.

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“Myself and Robbie Grabarz in 2012, Sophie Hitchon who has just retired in the hammer in Rio, Natasha Danvers in 2008, you see people come through to win medals who we don’t expect.

“I think that’s part of what we are hoping for in the athletics world for Team GB. It’s going to be really interesting, a lot of hopes are on Dina, but people always raise their game on their day.

“Holly Bradshaw has a great opportunity in the pole vault. It’s going to be interesting. We will have to cast the net quite wide to see where we get the medals from.”

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