London 2012 kit carrier Dina Asher-Smith roars huge warning for her Rio Olympics rivals as first Brit to win European 200m gold
History student jets to Brazil with her first international title
DINA ASHER-SMITH sent out a message to her Olympic rivals last night when she was crowned European 200m champion.
Asher-Smith, 20, was a kit carrier at London 2012 but will now travel to the Rio Games next month with her first senior international title under her belt.
A history student at Kings College in London she also enters the record books herself as the first British woman woman ever to clinch the European 200m title.
One of SunSport's 12 rising stars to watch for Rio she controlled the race from the start, storming ahead to finish in 22.38secs as Bulgarian Ivet Lalova Collion trailed behind in 22.96secs.
Team-mate Jodie Williams, who won silver two years ago, had to settle for sixth place in 22.96secs.
Asher-Smith, who was Britain's first medallist of these championships in Amsterdam and will go for another in the 4x100m relay on Sunday, said: "It's so cool. I had no idea I had such a big lead. I was just thinking keep going, keep going.
"I hope I've made Britain proud. I really let myself slide on athletics history because the more of a statto you become the more you get bogged down and realise the importance of what you're doing.
"If I’d known on the start-line that no other British woman had done it before then I’d be a bit more nervous thinking maybe I could be the first. So I had absolutely no clue.
"My mum (Julie) is out here and I could see her jumping up and down on the victory lap and nearly crying. I'm really, really happy."
Asher-Smith, who became the fastest teenager in the world last year and was fifth in the 200m at the World Championships in Beijing, had gone into the race as favourite with Dutch star Dafne Schippers who won world gold concentrating on the 100m in her own backyard.
The two will go head-to-head in Rio next month.
She said: "I like to go out there and surprise myself so hopefully I’ve got a bit more in me and be able to run the best I possibly can at the Olympics."
TIFFANY PORTER, the defending champion from 2014, had to settle for bronze in the 100m hurdles, clocking 12.76secs.