By Chris Chavez
November 21, 2024
Great Britain’s Daryll Neita, a three-time Olympic medalist and three-time World Championship medalist in the 4x100m, has signed on as a Racer with Grand Slam Track ahead of the professional track league’s inaugural season in 2025.
Here’s What You Need To Know:
– The 28-year-old is coming off a year in which she won 100m title and finished second in the 200m at the British national championships before going on to take fourth in the 100m Olympic final and fifth in the 200m Olympic final in Paris. She ran a season’s best of 10.92 in the Olympic 100m semifinal. She was fourth in the Diamond League 100m final and second in the Diamond League 200m final. Her 200m season’s best of 22.20 came at the London Diamond League in July.
– At the Paris Olympics, she anchored Team GB to a silver medal behind the United States. She was part of the British relay squad that tied their national record of 41.55 at the London Diamond League, which was the fastest 4x100m relay performance of the year.
– Neita also earned a silver medal in the 200m and a gold medal in the 4x100m at the European Championships this summer in Rome.
– She joins the “short sprints” group that will contest the 100m/200m at each of the four Slams in Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. 100m Olympic bronze medalist Melissa Jefferson is the only other Racer signed to this group so far.
– Each athlete will receive points for their finishing position in the two races. After the two events, the athlete with the highest point total will win the Slam and the $100,000 prize for first place.
– Neita is the first British woman to sign with Grand Slam Track. Her compatriots 400m Olympic silver medalist Matthew Hudson-Smith (long sprints - 200m/400m) and 1500m Olympic silver medalist and reigning World champion Josh Kerr (short distance - 800m/1500m) have also signed with the league.
What She Had To Say:
“I’m really excited to be the first British woman announced as joining Grand Slam Track, and can’t wait to start racing in this fresh new league. I love the concept and getting to race twice in a weekend is fun and exciting for all of us as Racers. It’s an amazing opportunity to compete at the highest level in a whole new format that’s going to bring a lot of energy to the sport. I can’t wait to see how the season unfolds and race alongside some of the best athletes in the world. It’s going to be an incredible experience for the fans and athletes alike.”
Who Could Take The Final Two Racer Spots?
The biggest haul would be signing 100m Olympic champion Julien Alfred and 100m World champion and Olympic silver medalist Sha’Carr Richardson. 200m Olympic champion Gabby Thomas could also be a fit due to her versatility from 100m to 400m.
Jamaica would love to see some representation in the short sprints if the likes of reigning 200m World champion Shericka Jackson, 2021 100m and 200m Olympic gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah or the iconic Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce could get healthy in time for the start of the Grand Slam Track season in April.
Other candidates to consider are 200m Olympic bronze medalist Brittany Brown (who also reached the 100m final at the 2023 World Championships), Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith (who consistently makes World and Olympic finals) or Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith (the 200m World champion and British record holder at 100m).
Plenty of options to explore as the number of total Racers is now starting to creep up toward its 48-person limit.
Who Else Has Signed With Grand Slam Track So Far:
– Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (June 18th)
– Josh Kerr (June 27th)
– Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse (Sept. 4th)
– Fred Kerley and Kenny Bednarek (Sept. 12th)
– Melissa Jefferson (Sept. 19th)
– Masai Russell, Cyrena Samba Mayela and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (Sept. 25th)
– Alison Dos Santos and Clément Ducos (Sept. 26th)
– Muzala Samukonga (Sept. 26th)
– Quincy Hall and Matthew Hudson-Smith (Oct. 10th)
– Nikki Hiltz (Oct. 15th)
– Grant Fisher and Ronald Kwemoi (Oct. 15th)
– Roshawn Clarke and Ackera Nugent (Oct. 17th)
– Luis Grijalva (Oct. 22nd)
– Shamier Little, Jasmine Jones and Rushell Clayton (Oct. 22nd)
– Jessica Hull (Oct. 22nd)
– Devon Allen and Daniel Roberts (Oct. 22nd)
– Marileidy Paulino (Oct. 22nd)
– Jereem Richards (Oct. 22nd)
– Marco Arop (Oct. 22nd)
– Tsigie Gebreselama and Agnes Ngetich (Oct. 22nd)
– Salwa Eid Naser (Nov. 21st)
– Elise Cranny and Nozomi Tanaka (Nov. 21st)
– Mary Moraa (Nov. 21st)
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Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.
