Daryll Neita revels in ‘supercar’ comparisons after victory in UK Indoor Championships

Daryll Neita says she is ‘revved up and ready’ to challenge team-mate Dina Asher-Smith this year after becoming British 60metres champion on Saturday.

Neita was likened to a ‘supercar’ by her Italian coach Marco Airale this week and she raced to victory at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham in a time of 7.17secs.

The 26-year-old ran a new 60m personal best of 7.05secs in Berlin last week, just one hundredth of a second outside the national record recently set by Asher-Smith, who skipped Saturday’s event.

Neita will take on Asher-Smith in next week’s World Indoor Tour Final on the same Utilita Arena track, ahead of further head-to-heads outdoors this summer, culminating in the World Championships in Budapest in August.

‘I read my coach comparing me to a supercar and he is right – I am revved up and ready to go,’ said Neita, who won bronze medals in the 100m at last summer’s Commonwealth Games and European Championships and will race at the European Indoors next month.

The sprinter won in Birmingham over 60m ahead of next week’s battle with Dina Asher-Smith

’I don’t think we’ve seen anything close to what I am capable of yet. It was amazing to get so close to the British record and I hope to be able to challenge that next week here.

‘It will be really good to race Dina. We are both in great form. It is good to have that rivalry at home because we push each other. We can expect some really fast times this summer, especially seeing the form we are in indoors.

‘I missed out on two gold medals last year at the Europeans and Commonwealths. That has really driven me this year. I want individual medals at Budapest.’

Neita’s training partner Reece Prescod – the European 100m silver medallist – won the men’s 60m in a season’s best time of 6.54secs. ‘Things are heading in the right direction,’ he said. ‘Living in Italy is where it’s at.’

David King beat Andrew Pozzi in the men’s 60m hurdles final, while Cindy Sember won the women’s event.

Neita said she was looking forward to her clash with Asher-Smith in Birmingham next week