'No limits' for GB's Neita in Olympic medal hunt

Discipline, dedication, and a small delusion.

As Daryll Neita prepares for her 3rd Olympic Games, nan 27-year-old British sprinter believes thing is imaginable successful Paris.

A five-time world medallist arsenic an ever-present successful nan British women's 4x100m team, including Olympic bronze astatine some Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, Neita will activity to replicate that occurrence successful nan 100m and 200m arsenic she pursues individual honours.

"My goals are done nan roof. I don’t put limits connected myself astatine all," Neita tells BBC Sport.

"I americium aiming for individual medals this summer. I don’t spot why anyone shouldn't judge they can; everyone should purpose to beryllium nan best.

"It would mean nan world to me. I person put successful truthful overmuch activity to beryllium successful this position. It would beryllium each of that difficult activity and dedication paying off.

"One point I ever opportunity is: 'Be a spot delusional.' Believe successful yourself, support going and don't springiness up."

Described arsenic a 'supercar' by coach Marco Airale, pinch whom she has worked since moving to Italy 2 years ago, Neita secured nan first individual world medals of her profession successful 2022 pinch European and Commonwealth 100m bronze.

It is only 3 years since she vanished eighth successful her first world last astatine nan Tokyo Olympics, having exited successful nan 100m heats connected her Games debut successful Rio.

But she demonstrated her breathtaking advancement by finishing wrong 0.24 seconds of nan podium among a star-studded 200m line-up astatine past summer's World Championships.

And, successful a existent measurement of her soaring ambitions, nan British 100m champion said she was "distraught" aft finishing wrong 1 hundredth of a 2nd of a first awesome title astatine nan European Championships complete 200m successful Rome successful June.

"I person a batch of assurance going into this Olympics. For this one, I cognize I've done nan work," says Neita.

"Reaching nan Olympic last successful Tokyo was perfectly huge. I had 1 mission, to make nan final, and it was an astonishing achievement.

"I came past but it gave maine truthful overmuch motivation. It was truthful typical to execute thing truthful monumental successful my career."

Following a wintertime training artifact which she describes arsenic an "insane operation", Neita could not person hoped for a much promising commencement to this Olympic year.

Certainly, arsenic acold arsenic season-opening races go, beating nan world 100m champion is not a bad spot to start.

Neita was beaming arsenic she cruised to an awesome 200m triumph successful 22.62 seconds astatine nan Suzhou Diamond League, leaving American Sha'Carri Richardson - besides a world medallist complete that region - among those trailing behind.

But Neita, a victor complete 100m astatine nan Doha Diamond League 2 weeks later, is nether nary illusion astir nan situation she faces successful her bid to make nan Olympic podium.

"I'm racing nan fastest women of each time," Neita says. "The women's sprints are conscionable relentless astatine nan infinitesimal and you request to beryllium strong, accelerated and mentally fit.

"My coach went perfectly crazy this winter. You ever knew it was going to beryllium a hellish day. That subject and dedication, it's not easy to aftermath up each time and do that.

"It's nan wintertime months erstwhile you really mobility things, but it's nan glorious moments successful nan summertime that make it each worthy it.

"It is for illustration building a supercar. We're moving connected a awesome task here. It's an astonishing travel to beryllium portion of."

It is simply a travel which started erstwhile Neita, nan second-fastest British female successful history, was scouted astatine a schoolhouse sports time - and she precocious launched nan Daryll Neita Athletics Community to guarantee nan adjacent procreation person those invaluable opportunities.

As an 11-year-old, Neita recalls watching Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce competing astatine nan Beijing 2008 Olympics connected TV.

Sixteen years on, she will expect to subordinate Jamaica's two-time Olympic 100m champion connected nan commencement statement for nan Paris 2024 final, on pinch nan likes of Richardson, world 200m champion Shericka Jackson and British team-mate Dina Asher-Smith.

"When I was watching connected TV successful 2008, I would ne'er person moreover imagined I would spell to an Olympic Games," says Neita.

"I person travel a agelong way. I would ever opportunity to anyone: 'just believe'.

"If I was personification who listened to nan opinions of each personification who talked down to maine aliases told maine thing wasn't possible, I wouldn't beryllium present today."

There has been a attraction connected expanding powerfulness and spot complete caller months to build nan foundations for a perchance exhausting Olympic schedule, should she execute her purpose of contesting nan 100m, 200m and 4x100m finals.

Neita's 100m champion of 10.98 seconds, group successful Doha successful April, ranks 23rd successful nan world this year, while her 22.36secs complete 200m is nan 22nd-fastest clip successful 2024.

But, since reaching nan Tokyo last 3 years ago, everything has been building towards peaking successful Paris arsenic she intends to go nan first British female to make an Olympic sprint podium for 64 years.

"Paris for maine will beryllium really breathtaking and I deliberation nan first Olympic Games wherever I genuinely judge I tin do what I want to do," says Neita.

"It has been 8 years since my first Olympics and successful that clip I person travel connected truthful overmuch arsenic an athlete.

"I consciousness for illustration I person done astonishing successful nan past fewer years to [now] beryllium recognised by who I americium and my ain achievements. But, astatine nan aforesaid time, I'm quiet for more."

A type of this communicative was first published successful May 2024.