DINA Asher-Smith has the title of a superhero and the dual personality to go with it. “Britain’s fastest- ever woman!” screams the literature promoting her appearance at Saturday’s Grand Prix at the Emirates Arena when Asher-Smith will run in Glasgow for the first time in her fledging career. Somehow, just one exclamation mark doesn’t seem quite enough.

The 20-year-old Londoner already holds more records than a DJ’s bag for a weekend-long party. In the 200m final at last year’s World Champion- ships in Beijing, Asher-Smith finished fifth with a time that made her the fastest teenage girl to run that distance and also smashed a 31- year-old British record. Just to get there she had posted the fastest time in a first-round heat, and was also the quickest athlete in the semi-finals.

Earlier that summer at the Anniversary Games in London she became the first British woman to run 100m in under 11 seconds. The previous year she had become world junior champion over the same distance. It all points towards a young woman going places, and in a bit of a hurry, too.

Her burgeoning talent – combined with a bubbly personality punctuated regularly by an infectious giggle – could well make her one of the British stars of this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio. The idea, though, that she could become a household name is still hard for her to get her head round. Despite her success, she modestly insists it is rare for her to be gawped at on the street or asked for an autograph or the now ubiquitous selfie.

At King’s College in London, where she is in the second year of a history degree, she can pass through the corridors with even less intrusion. That she is “Britain’s fastest-ever woman!” clearly carries little weight there, although Asher-Smith reckons that is more down to ignorance rather than indifference. Her other life is not a secret, merely just not spoken about.

“Sometimes I get stopped on the street, but not that often,” she says during a short lunchtime break from an otherwise full-on day of classes. “When I’m at uni in central London everyone has their heads down and they’re just going where they’re going. Nobody really talks to anybody.

“The other students don’t really know I’m an athlete. I don’t tell anybody. Most are quite focused on the academic side so sport isn’t really on their radar. But I like it like that. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I wouldn’t say I live a double life. It’s not like I’m hiding anything, it just never comes up in conversation. It never seems right to drop in, “oh, and by the way I’m …”. You’re just there being a student like everyone else.”

Young, approachable and talented, the signs are all there that Asher- Smith has what it takes to become a successful role model – perhaps even the next Jessica Ennis-Hill. It seems a curious notion to her. She does not dismiss the idea that one day she could lend her profile and voice to help promote worthy causes, but for now it seems a while away. When you were a teenager yourself just two months ago, it is difficult to imagine one day being their spokesperson.

“I don’t see myself as a role model,” she says. “It’s still odd for me as I’m so used to being the one going up to people and saying, ‘please can I get your autograph?’ or ‘please can I get a photo?’ So when people first started coming up to me to ask for a photo I was like, ‘really?!’ but I’m getting more used to it. And it’s really nice to have people wanting to take my picture even if I still wonder why. It’s weird thinking about [being a public voice in future]. I guess it would depend what I felt I wanted to speak about. For now I’m just trying to get all my essays in on time.”

Asher-Smith has been happy, though, to share her experiences with those coming up behind her. “I’ve given talks but I wouldn’t say it’s because I’m high profile, more because I’ve been through – or I’m going through – many of the same experiences as them. I’m quite relatable, I think. If they’re at uni then I can speak about my own experiences. If they’re doing A Levels, I tell them, ‘don’t worry, I did that as well so you can too’. It’s more about the pressures you have when you’re a teenage athlete or a young ... I’m not going to call myself an adult as I’m not that responsible yet, but as a young person I’m happy to share my experiences if it can help in some way.”

Asher-Smith will be back in athlete mode this coming weekend, her duel over 60m with Dafne Schippers – the 200m world champion – one of the highlights of the Grand Prix. Asher- Smith has known Schippers for several years as they made their way through the junior ranks – the Dutchwoman, initially, as a heptathlete – and is full of admiration for her achievements. “I would say there’s definitely mutual respect there,” she says. “It’s not like being in the classroom where you can spend a whole day with people and develop a friendship. Normally you see other athletes performing and that’s about it. But I definitely have huge amounts of respect for Dafne. She’s an amazing athlete. To become world champion in her first year concentrating on sprints, that was incredible.”

The pair could yet meet again on the starting line in Rio. Asher-Smith has never hidden the fact that participating in her first major finals – she missed the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 as it clashed with the world junior championships – is a lifelong ambition.

“That’s the thing that all athletes are focusing on this year. The indoor season is definitely a building block towards – fingers crossed, touch wood – reaching the Olympics. Everyone has some drive behind them with that in mind, whether it was because as a child you really wanted to go, or you’re motivated by a family member or you’re doing it in memory of someone. We all want to make our dreams and aspirations come true. But I’ve got to make sure I make the team first. There are so many talented girls it will be hard. You can’t make assumptions, nothing is a given.”

She is, typically, enthusiastic about performing in Glasgow. “I’m really, really, really excited. Outside of the British trials and hopefully the world indoors [in Portland in March], Glasgow is the biggest race in my indoor season. I’ve had quite a positive start to the year. I still have things to work on. But I’m looking forward to it.”