"He’s like a second dad" - Dina Asher-Smith expresses her admiration for her ex-coach John Blackie after moving to Austin

Dina Asher-Smith has expressed her admiration for her ex-coach John Blackie after having moved to Austin, Texas, a year ago. Asher-Smith trained under Blackie from the age of eight until last year.

The British sprinter has been a three-time Olympian, having secured medals at all her appearances. At the 2024 Paris Games, she bagged a silver medal in the women's 4x100m relay event after running the fastest first leg of 11.02 seconds.

The Olympian, who trained in her hometown of London, made a bold move to relocate for the first time in her life, arriving in Austin to train under Edrick Floreal after Blackie's unavailability for Paris Games.

She began training along with Paris Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred. A year after training and following the Olympic Games and Diamond League meetings, Asher-Smith is now back in London, savoring the comfort of her hometown.

In an interview with Independent.com, she reflected on her relationship with her former coach, whom she refers to as "second dad," and acknowledged the importance of change.

“I’m really excited by running in track and field right now, which I think I do owe to a shake-up in environment,” she said. “There was absolutely nothing wrong with where I was in London – I absolutely love my previous coach, John, he’s like a second dad. It’s just that sometimes change is mentally good and stimulating. It’s brought a new perspective and it’s made everything really exciting again."

“I made a mistake, and then I corrected it" - Dina Asher-Smith reflects on her redemption run at the Diamond League meeting after a subpar performance at the Paris Olympics

Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain celebrates after finishing the 100m Women during the Lausanne Diamond League at Stade de la Pontaise in Lausanne, Switzerland. (Photo by Getty Images)

Dina Asher-Smith displayed an unsatisfactory performance at the Paris Games, having settled in fourth place in the women's 200m after clocking 22.22 seconds.

Moreover, she also fell short of qualifying in the final round of the 100m race. The British sprinter settled in fifth place in the semifinal round, posting 11.10 seconds, far away from the last qualifying athlete.

In the same interview, Asher-Smith acknowledged her mediocre performance, stating she realized her mistake and made an impressive comeback in the following Diamond League meetings.

“I made a mistake, and then I corrected it, and went and did really well in the last three Diamond Leagues. Sometimes it’s just about the attitude and energy you bring to the start line," she said.

Following the Paris Games, at the Lausanne Diamond League, Dina Asher-Smith dominated the 100m event with 10.88 seconds. Moreover, she recorded stunning times of 10.89 and 10.92 seconds at the following Zurich and Brussels meetings.