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Tokyo 2020: Mark Lewis-Francis expects Dina Asher-Smith to win gold

Tokyo 2020: Mark Lewis-Francis expects Dina Asher-Smith to win gold
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Mark Lewis-Francis, who anchored Great Britain to the 4x100m relay gold medal at the 2004 Games, says she is a "championship performer".

Olympic champion Mark Lewis-Francis has tipped Dina Asher-Smith to end Britain's sprinting medal drought and bring home gold from Tokyo 2020.

World 200m champion Asher-Smith begins her bid for Olympic glory in the 100m heats on Friday morning.

The 25-year-old Team GB athletics captain is attempting to become the first British woman to win a medal in either of the sprints since Dorothy Hyman took silver and bronze in 1960.

Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is favourite to add to her 100m titles in 2008 and 2012 having clocked 10.63 seconds, the fourth-fastest time in history, just last month.

Mark Lewis-Francis after winning gold in 2004
Mark Lewis-Francis after winning gold in 2004 (Phil Noble/PA)

But Lewis-Francis, who anchored Great Britain to the 4x100m relay gold medal at the 2004 Games in Athens, believes Asher-Smith will step up to the mark on the biggest of stages.

"She's a championship performer," Lewis-Francis told the PA news agency.

"When she goes out there she puts everything on the table. She's an amazing athlete and an amazing person.

"If she goes out there and she runs her perfect race she can achieve a gold medal, definitely."

Team GB might be hard pushed to match their haul of seven track and field medals in Rio, but Lewis-Francis feels there are plenty of opportunities for success, not least in the shape of 800m hopeful and fellow Birchfield Harrier Elliot Giles.

Elliot Giles has been tipped to do well by Mark Lewis-Francis
Elliot Giles has been tipped to do well by Mark Lewis-Francis (David Davies/PA)

"We've got a talented young team, quite a few athletes are predicted to get medals so my hopes are really high for them," he added.

"They've got good management, good coaches and with them being able to focus on their events with no distractions because they have had to isolate, they are going to have time to think and time to put everything they've done over the last four or five years into perspective and go out there on the field and achieve their goals.

"There's a young Birchfield Harrier competing, Elliot Giles. He's come a long way this season.

"I think he's got potential to go out there and achieve really well and embrace the Games."

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Mallory Franklin pictured at the Tokyo Olympics on July 29, 2021
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Olympic medal table header
CountryGold medalSilver MedalBronze MedalT
ChinaChina32211669
United StatesUnited States25292276
JapanJapan2071239
AustraliaAustralia1541736
Great BritainGreat Britain14181547
Today's Olympic highlights header

Wednesday's key events


SKATEBOARDING
· Team GB starlet Sky Brown - aged just 13 - takes part in the women's park event and has a realistic chance of picking up a medal too. Bombette Martin is Britain's other representative, while hosts Japan are among the favourites for gold (1am)

HOCKEY
· Great Britain's women have more history in their sights heading into their semi-final against Netherlands - the team they beat in the 2016 gold medal match (2.30am)

ATHLETICS
· The men's 400m hurdles final on Tuesday will go down as one of the greatest Olympic races of all time, and the women will attempt to emulate that, with new world record holder Sydney McLaughlin of USA and Netherlands' Femke Bol the favourites for gold (3.30am)
· Nick Miller is Britain's representative in the men's hammer throw final (12.15pm)
· The men's 800m final could be a wide-open affair (1.05pm)
· A thrilling men's 200m final is in store as the likes of Andre de Grasse, Noah Lyles and 17-year-old sensation Erriyon Knighton bid to succeed Usain Bolt as Olympic champion (1.55pm)

SAILING
· After a medal-laden day on the water on Tuesday, Great Britain will be looking for more success, starting with Luke Patience and Chris Grube in the men's 470-class medal race (6.33am)
· Team GB also have medal hopes in the women's event, with defending champion Hannah Mills looking to retain her crown alongside new teammate Eilidh McIntyre (7.33am)

BOXING
· Already guaranteed at least a bronze, Great Britain's Frazer Clarke faces Uzbekistan's Bakhodir Jalolov in the men's super heavyweight with a place in the gold medal bout up for grabs (7.03am)
· Ben Whittaker is also guaranteed a medal, but will look to ensure that is either gold or silver as he takes on Cuba's Arlen Lopez in the light heavyweight final (7.35am)

CYCLING
· World records have been tumbling in the velodrome, and another could go in the men's team pursuit final as Italy - new world record holders themselves - face Denmark (10.06am)

EQUESTRIAN
· Three Brits have made into into the final of the men's jumping individual final, including fastest qualifier Ben Maher, who will bid to inherit compatriot Nick Skelton's Olympic crown (11am)

> Today's schedule in full
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