"It means a lot" - Daryll Neita touched by encouraging messages from Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah

Daryll Neita expressed gratitude for receiving encouraging messages from Jamaican athletes Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah. Both Fraser-Pryce and Thompson-Herah are among the greatest sprinters.

Neita is gearing up for her third Olympic Games, having represented Great Britain in both the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She has been picked in the squad in the women’s 100m, 200m events, and 4x100m relay event for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Before competing at the Olympics, she will also feature at the 2024 London Diamond League.

Ahead of the grand event, Neita spoke with BBC Sports' Correspondent Natalie Pirks (a video uploaded on their website), highlighting how Jamaican superstars Fraser-Pryce and Thompson-Herah have encouraged her. This video was eventually shared by sports enthusiast Owen M on X.

She said:

“Number one is I'm actually really fortunate. For some reason, the ladies, let's say, Shelly or Elaine, they give me a lot of advice and they talk to me and they're very friendly. So, when you're able to talk to people that are better than you, you're able to get tips and advice, and it does give you that confidence to say, if they can see it in you, why can't you see it in yourself.”

Neita elaborated on her conversations with Fraser-Pryce at the 2023 World Championships, saying:

“Last year at the World Championships, I had a conversation with Shelly-Ann and she just said to me, I was on the way to the call room. She said, Dee, the 200 is all about execution. You have to believe in yourself in this event, just go for it. It was like a 10-second little bit of advice, but it was major.”

Neita went on to finish fifth in the women’s 200m at the World Championships, also her best individual finish in the tournament.

Daryll Neita then talked about Thompson-Herah, stating:

“Someone like Elaine, she'll message me often and be like, good job on your race today, or just little things. Wow, that's just so amazing to be, you know, be given advice by women that you look up to with so much respect. And they've done such amazing things. I've grown up watching them and so to be given those words of encouragement, it means a lot.”

A look into Daryll Neita’s 2024 season

Daryll Neita at the UK Athletics Championships 2023. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

Daryll Neita kicked off her 200m outdoor season in 2024 at the Shanghai/Suzhou Diamond League leg which she dominated in a time of 22.62s, finishing ahead of Anavia Battle (22.99s) and Sha'Carri Richardson (23.11s). In the 100m, she featured at the Doha Diamond League which she won, clocking 10.98s.

She then booked her place in Great Britain’s squad for the Paris Olympics by finishing first in the 100m and second in the 200m event. So far, she has won two bronze medals in the Olympics, both of which came in the women’s 4x100m relay events.