Daryll Neita expressed her devastation after narrowly missing out on her first major title, finishing just one hundredth of a second behind in the 200m final at the European Athletics Championships in Rome. The 27-year-old Briton claimed the silver medal, with Swiss champion Mujinga Kambundji taking gold in a dramatic photo finish with a time of 22.49 seconds. Meanwhile, Neita's teammate, 22-year-old Megan Keith, secured her first senior medal by winning bronze in the 10,000m event with a time of 31 minutes 04.77 seconds.
Neita's silver brought Great Britain's total to 11 medals on the fifth night of competition in Rome. Despite her accomplishment, Neita conveyed her disappointment, feeling she was capable of winning gold. "I’m lost for words right now, I'm really not happy with that. I know I was capable of that gold," she told BBC Sport. She acknowledged her season's best performance but admitted it was not enough to satisfy her desire for gold.
Neita, who has previously won multiple global medals as part of the British women's 4x100m relay team, is now focused on achieving individual success as she aims for the Paris 2024 Olympics. Having qualified fastest for the final, Neita came close to victory but was edged out by Kambundji in the final moments. She remains confident in her abilities and determined to improve, continuing her training under coach Marco Airale in Italy.
Megan Keith's bronze medal in the 10,000m, earned in her first race over the distance on track, demonstrated her potential on the international stage. Italy's Nadia Battocletti won gold, completing a long-distance double, followed by Dutch athlete Diane van Es. However, Eilish McColgan's return to competition ended in disappointment as she was forced to pull out after 6,000m, highlighting the challenges she faces in proving her fitness for her fourth Olympic Games.
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