Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica has pledged to make a comeback after being forced to withdraw from the Olympics in Paris due to an Achilles ailment.
The athlete previously chose not to compete in the 200 metres at the Jamaican trials, which put an end to her hopes of pulling off the record “triple double” of winning the 100 and 200 metres in three straight Olympics.
After injuring her lower leg during the New York Grand Prix earlier this month, Thompson-Herah announced on social media her withdrawal from the Jamaican trials but said that she is determined to continue her track career.
The athlete said: “It’s a long road but I am willing to start over and keep working and to make full recovery and resume my track career. I am hurt and devastated to be missing the Olympics this year but at the end of the day it’s sports and my health comes first.”
“I will wait and I will still continue to work towards my goals that I haven’t achieved yet. I will be definitely watching hopefully from the stands and cheer my country Jamaica 🇯🇲 on,” she added.
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On ending the historic ‘triple double’ Olympic wins
Thompson-Herah was hoping to lock down a spot in the 100-metre and relay teams, but she had already opted not to run in the 200-metre event at the trials. After becoming the first woman to win consecutive gold medals in the 100 and 200 metres in the Tokyo Olympics, she lost the opportunity to attempt an Olympic ‘triple double’ by winning the 100 and 200 metres in the next Games.
With a second-fastest 100-metre time of 10.54, just 0.05 slower than Florence Griffith-Joyner’s world record, and the third-fastest 200-metre time in history, she is undoubtedly a modern-day sporting legend in the field of athletics.
Thompson-Herah has had a difficult few years following Tokyo, and last year’s injury-plagued season largely cost her a spot at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. She came back for the 4×100-metre relay, but Jamaica won silver behind the United States, so she was not chosen for the final.
In the past, Thompson-Herah has experienced serious consequences from her Achilles injuries. She said the one-year Covid wait for the Tokyo Olympics helped her overcome the issue after she struggled to fifth place in the 100m at the 2017 World Championships and fourth place in 2019, after the Rio Olympics.
Source: Eurosport