Record breaking sprinter says her essays make her a better athlete

The British Women’s 100m record holder has praised her degree as pushing her to be a better sprinter.

Dina Asher-Smith –– who studies History on the Strand campus –– became the first woman in British history to run 100m in under 11 seconds, smashing the record set by Montell Douglas in 2008 by 0.03 seconds.

The athlete has now revealed it is her intense degree which has helped her manage her time and become more efficient.

Speaking to the Evening Standard, the 19-year-old said the History department’s workload can be a “bit manic”, which in the past has included submitting 19 essays in 20 weeks.

Dina (centre) still gets firsts at uni

Dina, from Kent, said: “In term time it is stressful at times, when I know I’ve got training from 7pm to 9pm but I know I’ve got an essay due in the next day at 4pm.

“So I’m thinking I’ve got x amount of hours, I need to sleep, go to lectures, do the reading and get the essay in.”

But while most students prefer a considerably more relaxed lifestyle, Dina actually attributes her unbelievable success to her demanding schedule.

She is now preparing to compete in the Olympics next year after she blew away the competition with her phenomenal time at the Anniversary Games.

She added: “It’s made me grow up quite a lot, be more efficient with my time and appreciate sleeping as well.”

And her incredible achievements have not gone unnoticed by the uni.

Speaking on behalf of King’s, Professor Arthur Burns, Vice Dean for Education in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, said: “The most striking thing about Dina is her ability to combine the heavy demands of competing in elite sport with the very different, but equally hard work, demanded of an undergraduate studying History.

“Dina does not just get by. She achieved a first-class mark among her first-year results.

“We look forward to watching her progress both as an athlete and a historian in the next few years.”