Daryll Neita had threatened to pull off an upset against Olympic 100m champion Elaine Thompson-Herah but, in the end, had to settle for Commonwealth Games bronze.
Team England’s Neita, who had missed out on a place in the World Athletics Championships final in Eugene last month by just one hundredth of a second, produced the run of her life in the semi-finals.
The Londoner won her semi-final at Alexander Stadium in a time of 10.90seconds but was unable to replicate that form come the final.
As expected, Thompson-Herah, who had lost out to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the Worlds, proved a class apart winning in a time of 10.95s.
Julien Alfred, of St Lucia, pipped Neita to the silver medal as she finished some way short of a new personal best after a slow start in a time of 11.07.
“The overriding emotion is that it is nice to get another medal on home soil,” Neita said. “I didn’t put the right race together – and that makes me want to get back to work right now.
“It is great to get a medal, I ran a PB in the semis, so I am in fantastic shape. I just need to perform better in these finals. I am racing the fastest women to have ever existed, so it is an honour. The fact I am getting closer and improving so much, these ladies are so encouraging, it’s a great atmosphere to be a part of. It’s like a private members’ club.”
Neita’s England team-mate Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake was even slower in the men’s final after a worse start left him last and he jogged over the line in 11.10.
Gold went to Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala in 10.02 in a field devoid of the Jamaicans, whose stars had mostly opted to stay away from the Games. Defending champion Akani Simbine took silver, with bronze going to Yupun Abeykoon of Sri Lanka.
