Shanghai Diamond League turned out to be yet another setback for Sha’Carri Richardson. British athlete Daryll Neita (22.62s) and USA’s Anavia Battle (22.99s) dashed past Richardson (23.11s) who finished third in the women’s 200m. However, the timings remained stunning as four out of the top eight clocked in their seasonal bests. Sadly, Richardson wasn’t one of those.

On 20th April, despite facing defeat against 19-year-old Torrie Lewis by 0.03s, Sha’Carri clocked in 22.99s in Xiamen. Her ‘now’ seasonal best. If we compare her two performances, SCR was 0.14s slower this time. Even if she had clocked in at the same time as her season debut, she would still have fallen short of 0.37s to Daryll Neita. 

After her first setback on 20th April, while admitting she was “a little nervous,” Richardson was quite optimistic about Shanghai: “I know what I need to work on. Me and my coach… I’m pretty sure by the time I get back to the warm-up area, he’s already formulation on how to get better for the next race.” Little did she know, she had a tougher competition waiting in Shanghai. 

The 200m event was unrivaled despite the absence of Shericka Jackson, the reigning 200m world champion. Daryll Neita who challenged Sha’Carri in the Budapest Worlds last year completed her 200m redemption. “I came here praying and hoping for the win,” she stated. Neita finished fifth with 22.16 (her PB), while Richardson finished third with 21.92s (PB) in Budapest. In Shanghai, she was in a different league.

Neita ran a strong start around the bend and emerged onto the straight well clear of the chasing pack. To put into context, her lead over Anavia Battle was so comfortable that she was able to let up in the final five meters, crossing the line in 22.62 seconds. 

However, Anavia Battle also impressed having finished 4th by falling short of 0.03s in Xiamen. The 25-year-old outpaced Richardson by 0.14s as she repeated her Tom Jones Memorial success, where she finished second, clocking in 22.56s this year.

On the 27th, the event in the women’s category was a battle between the sprinters who might face each other again in the Paris Olympics. Let’s take a look at the comparative timings of this holy triumvirate in the 200m events: 

Sha’Carri Richardson’s season debut might not have gone as planned, and continuing the streak, her second 200m event was quite a bummer, too. But her spirits are always as high as ever, and her goal is to be on the Olympic team.

Via the Xiamen affair, SCR was vociferous, quoting, “I definitely want to make the team in both (100m and 200m). I’m not one of those athletes who does just one event.” Despite failing to finish first in both editions of the Diamond League this season, Richardson is still at the top of the Diamond League Qualifier standings, with a total of 13 points. She is followed by Anavia Battle with 12 points, Tamara Clark in third with 11 points, and Neita in fourth with 8 points. But with Neita getting her first win of the season, she is laying down a marker. 

Indisputably dominating the Shanghai Diamond League, the 27-year-old has also showcased her mettle in the past.

Remember the name… Daryll Neita! 

Ranking as the second fastest female in UK history and a double British champion, Daryll Neita has been quite a challenge for many. Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s triumph at the 2008 Beijing Olympics inspired Daryll Neita and fueled her love for the tracks. This inspiration drove her to be a former bronze medalist at the Rio Olympics and a 2x European champion. The Shanghai win has motivated her even further. “To come out here and win it, in a decent time, in such a strong field, I feel really confident going forward,” she said after the race.

Daryll Neita faced defeat from Sha’Carri Richardson at the Budapest World Athletics Championships 200m event, finishing fifth. But on the same day, she put out a befitting reply and surpassed the expectations weighing on her. Rather, in the absence of British legend Dina Asher-Smith, she was the best bet again. The first time she put her best foot forward in replacing Dina was at the Tokyo Olympics. In Tokyo’s 100m final heat, Daryll pipped the former world champion to enter the final event.

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Shanghai Diamond League turned out to be as dramatic as ever, with stunning performances by all the sprinters. The athletes will next head to Doha, Qatar on 10 May, where they will compete the women’s 100m competition