Team GB’s hopes were high last night as track superstars Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita were poised for a tense 200m final at the Stade de France.
After missing out on the 100m final, Dina’s hopes were pinned on a strong 200m race. Teammate Neita, who made it to the final but missed out on a bronze medal by a few fractions of a second, had unfinished business with new 100m Olympic champion Julien Alfred of St Lucia. Both Brit athletes had every reason to give it their all.
Asher-Smith came out as strong as ever, but couldn’t quite keep at full power in the final stretch. She came fourth with Neita following close behind in fifth, both runners performing fantastically.
Team USA’s Gabby Thomas, who has been running incredibly well all season, took the gold by some stretch after pushing ahead in the final seconds of the race. Fellow US athlete Brittany Brown joined her on the podium in third place while rising star Julien Alfred bagged herself a silver medal.
Alfred’s 100m gold and 200m silver are St Lucia’s first ever Olympic medals. On the other side of the coin, Thomas and Brown’s respective gold and bronze add to Team USA’s huge 2024 haul, securing their place at the top of the medal table.
