Dina Asher-Smith’s “out of this world” treble at the European Championships was the best display by a British track competitor in a generation, according to the UK Athletics performance director, Neil Black.

Asher-Smith will go for 100m, 200m and 4x100m gold medals again at next year’s world championships and Black, who has worked in the sport for 26 years, said her rivals would be “crazy” to underestimate her.

Dina Asher-Smith snatches victory for 4x100m relay team to claim third gold Read more

“We knew that Dina had loads of talent,” he said. “But what she’s done is incredible. It’s better than anything I’ve seen in my time at UK Athletics, really. She has been so focused, so determined, so professional and so calm. She is a pleasure to have around and has really demonstrated to everyone else in the team how to go about performing at the highest level.”

Asher-Smith started by breaking her British 100m record, repeated the trick in the 200m, before topping off her week by taking the team from fourth to first in the 4x100m to clinch her third gold of the championships on Sunday night.

Black believes she can go even faster. “There is more to come, and she knows that,” he added. “I honestly think this is the beginning. I think she is going to run even faster. And I am absolutely sure all her competitors across the world have finally registered what she can do. When you put Dina’s multiple gold medal-winning and world-leading, world-class times together, if they are not fearful, if they are not respectful, then they must be crazy.”

Black attributed Asher-Smith’s victories to a combination of great genetics, hard work and determination, as well as the efforts of her coach, John Blackie. “They have worked together for years and she believes in him and vice versa,” Black said. “He knows how to get the best out of her. I remember a conversation a couple of years ago, and she said: ‘John knows how to get the best out of me.’

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“On the surface she is this lovely, butter-wouldn’t-melt person but underneath it she is ruthless when she needs to be. She works out with real clarity what needs to be done and I don’t think she lets anything get in the way.”

As bookmakers cut Asher-Smith’s odds to win the BBC sports personality of the year from 50-1 to 9-1, behind Harry Kane, Geraint Thomas and Anthony Joshua, she was also lauded as a “key player” in the sport going into the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by the IAAF president, Sebastian Coe.

“The great thing about Dina is that she just clearly loves big championship racing,” Coe said. “But she’s also got a real hinterland. I talked to her a few years ago and we were chatting about the fact she was doing a history degree and that her dissertation was on the impact jazz has had on social integration. It shows there are other things in her world and that will stand her in good stead when the pressure’s really on.”

Toni Minichiello, who brilliantly guided Jess Ennis-Hill to Olympic gold at London 2012, said it is important Asher-Smith does not try to change too much as she gears up for Tokyo. “She has run phenomenal times and is well capable of becoming a world star,” he said. “She just has to not overcook it. Sometimes when you step up to an even higher level you think you have to train more and do things differently. But you have just got to add a little bit at a time and let mother nature do its thing.

Dina Asher-Smith has stunned Berlin. Other Britons must now grab baton Read more

“Dina is only 22 so she doesn’t need to go crazy with the training, or the commercial offers and publicity she is going to get. I know after 2009 when Seb Coe labelled Jess as the face of London 2012 we were unprepared for things that flooded in. Dina will have to be selective so she can spend the time training and not be distracted, but she’s smart enough to know that.”

Black praised the rest of the British team, who arrived back from Berlin on Monday with 18 medals, including seven golds, and said they were ready to take on the world. In particular he praised the heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who recovered from a calf injury to take silver in a new personal best.

“Everybody has had doubts. She has had doubts,” he said, “but Kat has matured and her confidence and decision-making have made her a much better competitor.”

There were also warm words for Zharnel Hughes and Matt Hudson-Smith, who won the 100m and 400m, as well as Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Adam Gemili, who were key members of the men’s 4x100m team.

“I have no doubt we have a strong crop of genuine potential global medallists and we have seen some of them in Berlin,” Black added. “I just think very positive thoughts.”