“Has Been Killing Me”: Defeating Sha’Carri Richardson, Daryll Neita Reveals Her Motivation to Win

Daryll Neita has done what can only be termed as a classic switcheroo. Competing at the recently held Shanghai Diamond League, Neita defeated the likes of Sha’Carri Richardson. The UK sprinter has been a force to be reckoned with ever since she competed at the 2016 Olympics. Winning a team bronze medal in the 4x100m relay, Neita quickly scaled the heights of greatness. She bagged gold at the 2018 European Championships and followed it up with a bronze in the Tokyo Olympics. 

However, all of her achievements came with a team effort. Her singles glory still eluded her. That was until 2022 when Neita clinched her maiden individual medal by winning bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. And quite drastically, the scenario began to change for Neita for good since then. Known for her 200m antics, Neita flew past Sha’Carri Richardson, sending a strong message ahead of Paris. 

Daryll Neita makes Sha’Carri Richardson a mere blip on the radar

Daryll Neita had a strong start right off the blocks. Her acceleration found her steering clear of the others as Neita looked well set for a victory. The Brit’s initial burst allowed her to go slow in the final 5m, causing her to clinch the gold by clocking 22.62s. Anavia Battle came second at 22.99s, and contrary to expectations, American speedster Sha’Carri Richardson rounded off the podium in third place. 

After the race, Richardson’s clock read 23.11s, which was almost a second higher than Neita’s. Quite expectedly, Neita was found to be panting with joy post her heroics. Citius Mag caught up with her as Daryll Neita stated, “My coach said you know just trust the process… he has been killing me in the workout… To come out here and win it in a decent time in such a strong field I feel really confident.” 

However, as previously mentioned, Daryll Neita has been enjoying the caviar of glory for some time now. Back in 2023, Neita grabbed eyeballs with her stupendous performance at the UK Championships. 

Daryl Neita ascended the heights of UK Track & Field in 2023

Establishing herself as the number one from the UK, Daryl Neita bagged gold at the UK Championship in 2023. Although her supposed rival, Dina Asher-Smith did not compete, Neita’s record timing of 22.25s was enough to justify her credibility. Her winning mentality was reflected significantly in her post-victory byte. Neita said, “I’m not scared to beat people, I want to be No 1. I also know where the rankings are, I know who is running 10.6 and 10.7. I’m not there yet but I’m working towards it.”

While the illumination of Neita is a positive, Sha’Carri Richardson’s seemingly off form would raise concerns. Competing at the Xiamen Diamond League earlier, Richardson’s stars did not align as she faltered a little bit there too. Well, like the champion she is, it is expected that Sha’Carri Richardson would shrug off the dust and we might be in for an enthralling matchup between Richardson and Neita come Paris Olympics 2024.