Dina Asher-Smith put injury troubles and personal tragedy behind her to win bronze in a 200m final stacked with talent at the World Championships in Oregon.
Asher-Smith finished behind Jamaican duo Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, with Jackson recording the second-fastest time in history to win gold.
The Briton was the defending 200m champion after winning gold in Doha in 2019 but was forced out of the event at last year’s Tokyo Olympics with a hamstring injury.
Asher-Smith also experienced disappointment in Oregon when she finished fourth in the 100m final.
She ran a time of 22.02 seconds to finish on the podium in the 200m final.
Asher-Smith said that athletics had been at the “back of my mind” after the death of her grandmother this year.
“She had been ill for some time and was such a bedrock of my family. I used to spend every day at her house as a child,” Asher-Smith, 26, told the BBC.
“For a long time athletics was at the back of my mind; my brain has been everywhere.
“It has been a really tough mental challenge to get through this season.”
Asher-Smith also expressed her delight at making the podium given the competitiveness of the field.
“I don’t think we have ever been in a world final with that kind of talent,” Asher-Smith said.
“I knew I just had to run as fast as my legs would carry me and really pray and hope it would be enough to get on the podium.
“I am so happy to made the podium in an era where everyone is running so fast.”
