Elaine Thompson Herah winning Gold Women’s 100m Commonwealth Games 2022
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Elaine Thompson-Herah’s experience shone through as the Jamaican added Commonwealth 100m gold to her collection in a time of 10.95 seconds.
The five-time Olympic champion was clean away and immediately up on England’s Daryll Neita outside her.
Neita, who ran a personal best 10.90 in the semi-finals, could not make up the deficit and ended with bronze.
Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala claimed the men’s title ahead of South Africa’s defending champion Akani Simbine.
Omanyala, who only converted to sprinting from rugby in his late teens, came home in 10.02 seconds to add the Commonwealth crown to the African title he claimed in June.
The 26-year-old’s hopes of a hat-trick of titles this season had been scuttled by a visa delay that meant he arrived at last month’s World Championships just two and a half hours before his first heat.
He was eliminated in the semi-finals in Eugene after running a disappointing 10.14.
By contrast, he dominated the Commonwealth final, powering away from Simbine, who finished back in 10.13.
Sri Lanka’s Yupun Abeykoon claimed Sri Lanka’s first athletics medal at the Games since 1998 by taking bronze in 10.14.
The 27-year-old’s success comes amid political and civil unrest in the country that has extended to its Commonwealth team.
Two members are reported to have absconded from their base in Birmingham.
Johnson-Thompson and McColgan claim gold in Birmingham
Neita relishes medal and rues missed opportunity
England’s Neita looked in ominous form in the semi-finals, but her new personal best proved a better performance than the final.
“My overriding emotion is that it is nice to get another medal on home soil but I really didn’t put the best race together today,” she said.
“That makes me want to get back to work right now.”
Neita made her first major final at last year’s Olympics, finishing eighth in 11.12 seconds after running 10.96 in the heats.
The 25-year-old, who won the British title ahead of Dina Asher-Smith earlier this year, admitted that peaking at the right time across a championship campaign is now her priority.
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