by Stuart Weir
This is Stuart Weirs’ first article on Day 2 of the track & field portion of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Women’s 100
Daryll Neita recorded the fastest time, but Elaine Thompson-Herah is Commonwealth Champion. Thompson-Herah’s winning time was 10.95, but Neita had run a PR of 10.90 in the semi-final. Neita started badly in the final and was playing catch-up all through the race. Julien Alfred from St Lucia was second in 11.01. Neita is third in 11.07.
Dina Asher-Smith had withdrawn with injury, and Shericka Jackson, originally entered, decided not to come.
Daryll summed up her evening: “My overriding emotion is it’s nice to get another medal. I really didn’t put the best race together today, and that makes me want to get back to work right now. It’s great to get a Commonwealth medal, and I ran a PB [10.90] in the semi, so I’m in fantastic shape. I just need to perform better in these finals.
“It’s fantastic to be racing the fastest women to ever have existed. It’s an honor, and the fact I’m getting closer, and these ladies are so encouraging, it’s a great atmosphere to be a part of. It’s like a private members’ club. I just didn’t execute a good start; I let myself down. It shows my pick-up is phenomenal, but I can’t afford to run 10.90 in a semi and 11.07 in a final; it’s not good enough.
“I was definitely capable of winning this today, but I’m able to turn every negative thing into a positive; that’s just how I am, and to be on the podium makes me really happy.”
She ran sub-10 for the first time at the Tokyo Olympics and repeated it at the Athletissima and Weltklasse Diamond Leagues in 2021 and in Paris in 2022. She ran sub-11 twice in Oregon last month and for the seventh time in Birmingham. Your correspondent has seen six of them. At 25, there is a lot more to come.
