KINGSTON, Jamaica – Elaine Thompson-Herah, the reigning Olympic champion in both the 100m and 200m, has made a decision that was expected as she races against time to be healthy for the Jamaica National Championships.
The Jamaican star, who made history with her back-to-back Olympic sprint doubles in Rio and Tokyo, will not attempt a similar feat at the Paris Olympic Games. Instead, she shifted her focus on defending her 100m title and opting out of the 200m race.
The decision comes after Thompson-Herah sustained an apparent injury during the 100m race at the NYC Grand Prix earlier this month. – Read more: Elaine Thompson-Herah runs 10.92 season-best at Gala dei Castelli 2023
While the 31-year-old has yet to publicly comment on the severity of the injury, her absence from the 200m at the upcoming Jamaican trials speaks volumes.
Thompson-Herah, the second-fastest woman in history over 100m at 10.54 seconds, has been outstanding in the sprint world, but injuries have hindered her progress in the last couple of years.
Since leaving the MVP training group under the guidance of Stephen Francis, the five-time Olympic gold medalist hasn’t found a stable training group. She worked with coach Shanikie Osbourne for a short period last season and is now being guided by the current coach of former MVP training partner and countrywoman Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Coach Reynaldo Walcott.
With Thompson-Herah opting out and Shericka Jackson, the reigning world champion, not looking the same this season, the women’s 200m title at the Jamaica championships later this month seems to be wide open.
