Monday, 26 June 2023 11:53

Thompson-Herah contemplated quitting amidst season of injuries

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Double-double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah revealed that she contemplated leaving track and field after enduring a series of injuries this season.

Thompson-Herah expressed these sentiments following her victorious comeback in the women's 100m race, clocking 11.24 seconds, at the JAAA Budapest Quest meet held at Jamaica College on Saturday.

The event on Saturday marked Thompson-Herah's first 100m race of the season, as she had been absent from competition since April 14. Her return to the track serves as a significant boost as she prepares for the upcoming World Championships, scheduled to be held in Budapest from August 19 to 27. Before that, the trials to select Jamaica's team will occur from July 6 to 9 at the National Stadium. Thompson-Herah aims to secure her position on the prestigious stage through her performance at the trials.

During last year's World Championships in Oregon, Thompson-Herah, despite facing numerous injuries throughout the season, managed to secure third place in the 100m event. This remarkable achievement came as her compatriots Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson claimed the top two spots, resulting in an impressive 1-2-3 sweep for Jamaica.

Thompson-Herah is the second-fastest woman in history with a Jamaican national record of 10.54 achieved on August 21, 2021, at the Prefontaine Classic track and field meet in Eugene, Oregon.

Only American Florence Griffith-Joyner has run faster when she set her world record of 10.49 seconds in 1988.