“It was just a horrible moment for me,” said Daryll Neita regarding the time when she went into the 2024 European Athletic Championships in Rome as a favorite to win gold. But to her dismay, she secured second place, clinching a silver instead. The 4x national champion wanted to upgrade from the bronze she had won in Munich in 2022 to a gold but fell short by 0.01 second only to fellow sprinter Mujinga Kambundji’s 22.49. “I am honestly just so disappointed because I really wanted that medal,” Neita confessed post-race. However, all hope is not lost, as she turns her attention to a new challenge now.

Neita has now shifted her focus to the Athletics Meet that will commence tomorrow at the London Stadium. Apart from it being the Olympic bronze medalist’s “favorite track in the world,” she is also looking to put her skill to the test six days away from the 2024 Paris Olympics. Neita opened up about her game plan at a recent press conference. How is she holding up after her disappointment at the European Championships?

Daryll Neita is looking for a fresh start after a heartbreaking result in Rome

A day before the London Athletics Meet, Neita attended the London 2024 Wanda Diamond League press conference, appearing to be all smiles and excited. She was then asked if she had faced a lot of grief from different people since her second-place finish at the European Championships. The World Championships silver medalist let out a sigh before she answered. “I think I had a lot of grief from the whole world. Messing up that final, for me, it was so painful.” While she will be competing on her home turf, Neita lives and trains mostly in Italy. So the stakes for her at the championships in Rome were high, making the disappointment even more profound.

The sprinter further elaborates, “I went into that championship doing 200m as a clear favorite to win. And to come out of the championships, not with a gold, yes, silver is a great achievement, but it was a letdown for me.” Daryll Neita could feel herself dipping right as she reached the finishing line, something she had previously stated as not being her strongest suit. “And yeah, it took me a while to get over that; I was down for a minute, I’m not going to lie.” The WC bronze medalist’s silver win in Rome brought Great Britain’s tally to 11 medals at the European Championships, but she definitely expected more from herself, leaving her pride wounded with specks of disappointment.

Despite that moment being disappointing, to say the least, she now views it from a more positive perspective. “But I needed that moment. It wasn’t the Olympics; it wasn’t a major competition of the year.” Neita believes it will help her grow into a better sprinter before she steps foot in the French capital. “I think it was a blessing in disguise.” But before she heads to the Summer Games, Neita is looking forward to redeeming herself from the blunder in Rome, using the London Athletics Meet as a springboard for Olympic success.

The elite sprinter reveals what her mindset going into the 200m event is like. “Tomorrow is going to be an amazing race, and I think there’s great preparation going into the Olympic Games.” The London Athletic meet is the last hurdle standing between Neita and her third Olympic berth. “And for me, it’s just about executing my race and doing what I know I can do, and producing a good race tomorrow.“ While she eyeing to clinch that shiny gold medal by the end of the race, who will she have to beat in the 200m event to claim her place at the top? The competition promises to be fierce.

A rousing battle lies ahead at the London Stadium tomorrow

A rousing battle lies ahead at the London Stadium tomorrow, and Daryll Neita knows that she’ll have to face a formidable lineup of opponents. The 200m event boasts a stellar lineup consisting of the European champion silver medalist herself, this year’s World Indoor champion Julien Alfred; next comes the 2019 World Championships silver medalist (the first ever British woman to win a World Title), Dina Asher-Smith, along with 2018 World U20 Championships silver medalist Rhasidat Adeleke and 2020 Olympics bronze medalist Gabby Thomas. With an event as stacked as this one, you best believe it’s going to be a thrilling watch.

To give you a hint of the talents that Neita will have to conquer, here’s a list of small tidbits: At the Monaco Diamond League on July 12th, Alfred clinched her first Diamond League victory. The sprinter breezed past the finish line in 10.85 seconds in the 100m event. On the other hand, Asher-Smith trailed behind, finishing third with a stellar time of 10.99 seconds. Neita, who is the second-fastest British female sprinter, has a personal best of 10.90 in 100m, which she set at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium in 2022. Thomas, who successfully made it to the Paris-bound team for the Summer Games, clinched first place at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 21.81 seconds; there, you have it—a plethora of sheer force setting the stage for an epic showdown in London.

As the sprinters prepare to set foot in the London Stadium, the stakes for the sprinter are exceptionally high. Despite her chase to reach the top and falling short at the European Championships, she is hoping she can change that at the London Athletics Meet. How will she fare against Alfred, fresh off her win in Monaco, or Thomas, who proved that she is the one to watch out for at the trials? Will Daryll Neita strike gold on her home turf? Let us know what you think in the comments below!