Five-time Olympic champion details agony of 20-month injury layoff
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Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 09.05.26. | 15:32
The 33-year-old managed only two races in 2024, finishing ninth in both, before deciding to step away from competition to fully address the Achilles issue that had been troubling her
Five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah has opened up on the mental and physical agony of her 20-month injury layoff after making a triumphant return to the global stage at the 2026 World Relays in Gaborone, Botswana.
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The Jamaican sprint queen anchored her country’s women’s 4x100m relay team to gold after clocking 42.00 seconds ahead of Canada’s 42.17 and Spain’s 42.31, marking her first major international competition since July 2024.
For Thompson-Herah, the victory symbolised the end of a painful chapter defined by injuries, uncertainty, and missed opportunities.
“I must say we’re grateful that we crossed the line healthy,” Thompson-Herah said after the race.
“I mean, coming down the straightaway, I felt my leg was heavy. I feel the hamstring, so I said I have to bring the team home, because we’re looking forward to that," she continued.
The five-time Olympic champion had been sidelined by a persistent Achilles injury that derailed what had initially looked like another promising phase in her decorated career.
After an impressive 2023 season where she reached the podium in 11 of her 13 races, including victories at the Bruxelles Diamond League, Zurich Diamond League and the Jamaican Championships, Thompson-Herah entered the 2024 season with high expectations.
However, things quickly fell apart.
The 33-year-old managed only two races in 2024, finishing ninth in both, before deciding to step away from competition to fully address the Achilles issue that had been troubling her.
What followed was a lengthy absence that forced her to miss the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, a devastating blow for an athlete who had dominated the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by winning gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay.
“It’s been a rough one, mentally, but I’ve overcome that,” she admitted.
“Track and field is my passion. It’s my love. Because I love it so much, I think that the recovery part of it is easy. Not having pain is also a good feeling, of course,” she offered.
Thompson-Herah also linked her injury struggles to the physical demands that followed her historic 10.54-second run in 2021, the second-fastest women’s 100m time in history.
“After running 10.54, it has been a challenge. Running that high, it takes a toll on my body, I must say. The Achilles was not giving me anything,” she explained.
The sprint icon only began her gradual comeback earlier this year, first competing at domestic meets in February before building momentum through March and April ahead of her return to the world stage in Botswana.
Despite the emotional return and relay gold, Thompson-Herah admitted she is still in the rebuilding phase of her comeback journey.
“Pretty much not competing last year, I think it has done a lot for me. I probably needed that rest away from the sport to clear myself and to come back,” she said.
“So using this season for me is like a rebuilding process," she averred.
Jamaica’s relay victory also secured qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships, although all eight finalists had already booked their spots before the final.