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British Sprinters Shine as Finals Approach in Paris 2024
In an exciting day for Great Britain at the Paris 2024 Olympics, sprinters Daryll Neita and Dina Asher-Smith secured their spots in the women’s 200m final, while American Noah Lyles progressed in the men’s event.
Daryll Neita, who narrowly missed the podium in the 100m by just four-hundredths of a second, finished second in her semi-final with a time of 22.24 seconds, trailing behind the United States’ Brittany Brown, who clocked 22.12 seconds.
Meanwhile, Dina Asher-Smith, who expressed deep disappointment after not qualifying for the 100m final, demonstrated resilience by qualifying for the 200m final. She completed her semi-final in 22.31 seconds, placing second behind American runner Gabby Thomas.
Gabby Thomas emerged as a significant contender, posting the fastest semi-final time of 21.86 seconds, and she is now favored for gold following the withdrawal of Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson. Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred, the reigning 100m champion, also showcased strong performance with a time of 21.98 seconds.
Neita’s finish in the 100m marks the best performance by a British female athlete in an Olympic sprint final in over six decades. Despite this accolade, her focus shifts to seeking her first individual global medal, as she and Asher-Smith aim to become the first British women since Dorothy Hyman in 1960 to stand on an Olympic sprint podium.
In contrast, teammate Bianca Williams was unable to advance, finishing fourth in her semi-final in 22.58 seconds.
The women’s 200m final is slated for Tuesday at 20:40 BST, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown.
Noah Lyles returned to competition less than 24 hours after a nail-biting victory in the 100m final, where he triumphed over Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by a mere five-thousandths of a second. Lyles is on a quest to emulate the historic double achieved by sprint legend Usain Bolt at the Olympics and progressed easily in his heat, finishing with a time of 20.19 seconds.
However, Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes has withdrawn from the men’s 200m heats due to hamstring tightness. Hughes, who claimed the bronze medal in the 100m, has faced several challenges this season related to hamstring issues. British Athletics has yet to decide on his participation in the 4x100m relay.
Source
www.bbc.com