Elaine Thompson-Herah finally claims Commonwealth Games gold in 100 metres

Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah clinched her first Commonwealth Games 100m title as Daryll Neita’s challenge failed to materialise.

The 30-year-old ran 10.95 seconds while England’s Neita could only manage bronze after a shocking start.

Jamaica’s Thompson-Herah had not previously won an individual Commonwealth Games title before despite claiming five Olympic golds.

“I feel good, I could have had a better execution, but I am still grateful to win my first Commonwealth title,” she said.

“I started out as a rookie in 2014. Then I was fourth in 2018 in the 200m. Now I have moved up to a gold, so I am grateful.”

She was the only one of Jamaica’s star trio to compete with world 200m champion Shericka Jackson and 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce skipping the Games following last month’s World Championships in Eugene.

Thompson-Herah took 100m bronze behind her team-mates in Oregon and was the star name in Birmingham, with England’s Dina Asher-Smith out with a hamstring injury.

It meant Neita, who reached the Olympic final last year, was expected to be Thompson-Herah’s main rival and the British champion smashed her personal best to run 10.90 seconds in the semi-final.

But she could only run 11.07 seconds in the final following an awful start and also finished behind St Lucia’s Julien Alfred.

“I let myself down. I will go back, watch it with my coach, analyse it, get told off, beat myself up,” said Neita.

“It shows my pick up is phenomenal but I can’t afford to run 10.90 in the semi and then 11.07 in the final. It’s not good enough.

“It’s frustrating because I was capable of winning it and I really let myself down. I’m racing one of the fastest women of all time, the competition was high but I could have done better.