Will Asher-Smith bounce back from defeat to Neita at Stockholm Diamond League?

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (June 29) — World champion Dina Asher-Smith will look to bounce back from the defeat to Daryll Neita at the 2022 British Championships this past weekend when the pair line up against a strong 200m field at the Stockholm Diamond League 2022 meeting on Thursday (30).

Racing in only the 100m at the British Championships in Manchester last week, Asher-Smith clocked a wind-aided 10.87 (+3.8 m/s) seconds to finish behind Neita (10.80) and the world and European champion in the half-lap will be seeking to turn the tables against her compatriot in the Swedish capital.

The 26-year-old Asher-Smith revealed that she is still working on her fitness and race shape with each training session and competitive competition in an effort to rediscover the form she showed before sustaining a hamstring injury that wrecked her Olympic dreams last summer. Read more: Update – 2022 Stockholm Diamond League schedule and start lists

At the same time, though, Neita, who ran another wind-assisted 22.34 secs (+3.5 m/s) to secure the 200m title at the British Championships on Sunday (26), believes she’s finally showing that she is capable of competing with the best. 

 “I’ve always known I’ve got a lot of potential and capability,” said Neita after her championship run over the weekend.

“I’ve watched [Asher-Smith] do amazing things on the world stage and it’s been very inspiring. 

“But I’ve always known I can do it too. This gives me a lot of confidence and I really believe there is no limit to me.”

At the Stockholm Diamond League 2022 meeting on Thursday, the two Briton sprinters will come up against the in-form Swiss star Mujinga Kambundji, who clocked 22.18 seconds for a personal best two weeks ago in Bern.

The world bronze medalist has also been in top form over the 100m recently, after flashing to a 10.89 secs lifetime best performance at the Switzerland Championships in Zurich last Friday (24).

Kambundji’s Swiss teammate Ajla Del Ponte and Bahamian Tynia Gaither are also in the start list for the women’s 200m.

The Bauhaus-Galan Diamond League meeting is the eighth stop in the 2022 series and final one before the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, from 15-24 July.