Elaine Thompson-Herah, the renowned Jamaican sprinter and five-time Olympic gold medallist, has decided not to defend her 200 metres title at the upcoming Paris Games. This marks a significant shift as a new women’s 200m Olympic champion will be crowned for the first time since London 2012.
Thompson-Herah, who clinched gold in the 200 metres at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, will solely focus on the 100m event at the Jamaican Athletics Championships scheduled from June 27 to June 30. Her decision was finalized after missing the registration deadline for the 200m event, which passed earlier this week.
The 31-year-old sprinter’s recent performances have been overshadowed by challenges. In her season-opening 100m race at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene last month, she finished last with a time of 11.30 seconds. Further setbacks arose during the NYC Grand Prix where she clocked 11.48 seconds, hinting at ongoing injury concerns since her stellar double gold achievement in Tokyo.
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Following her split with Shanikie Osbourne, Thompson-Herah appointed Reynaldo Walcott as her new coach in November, aligning herself with his expertise alongside compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce. Despite being the second-fastest woman in history over 200m, Thompson-Herah’s 2023 season was marred by injury, leading to her absence from the World Championships in Budapest.
The athletics programme at the Paris Olympics is scheduled to take place from August 1 to August 11 at the iconic Stade de France, setting the stage for a new chapter in women’s sprinting.
