July 21, (THEWILL) – Team England’s 4x100m women’s relay team received their gold medals for the 2022 Commonwealth Games at the London Athletics Meet, two years after the event.
The quintet, consisting of Daryll Neita, Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and Ashleigh Nelson, were initially awarded silver in Birmingham. However, they were upgraded to champions following the disqualification of the Nigerian team due to an anti-doping rule violation.
The ceremony, conducted by Dame Denise Lewis, took place at the sold-out London Stadium during the Diamond League event. The athletes expressed mixed feelings about the delayed recognition, with Neita describing it as “bittersweet”. She noted that while they earned the achievement two years ago, the celebration in front of a home crowd was still “amazing”.
The timing of the presentation, just days before the Paris 2024 Olympics, provides a morale boost for Neita, Lansiquot and Williams, who will represent Team GB. Neita, in particular, had a successful meet, achieving a season’s best in the 200m sprint and helping set the world lead in the 4x100m relay.
Looking ahead to the Olympics, Neita expressed confidence in her current form. “Paris, that is what is next,” she said, emphasising her focus on preparing mentally and physically for the Games. She added that her recent performance shows she is “heading in the right direction”.
The event underscored the importance of clean sport, with Neita stating, “Clean sport is what it needs to be.” The athletes also highlighted the significance of receiving their medals from Dame Denise Lewis, a two-time Commonwealth Games heptathlon champion, with Nelson describing it as “special”.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
