Elaine Thompson withdraws from Olympic trials due to injury, won't defend 100m title in Paris

Jamaica: Elaine Thompson-Herah, five-time Olympic Champion from Jamaica, has withdrawn from the Olympic trials because of an injury. It is said that she got the injury during the 100 meters at the New York City Grand Prix on June 9, 2024.

Her withdrawal means that the athlete won't be able to defend her 100m title at the Paris Olympics. Earlier, she had already decided not to defend her 200m title and only entered in the 100m.

The Jamaican athlete announced her decision through her official Facebook handle by saying that she is 'hurt' and 'devastated.' She further noted that at the New York Grand Prix, she felt something during the race but still kept pushing herself and added that a few steps to the line, she realized something was really wrong, following which she had to sit on the ground because of being unable to apply any pressure to the leg.

Thompson Herah continued to say that the authorities quickly did a medical checkup on her and found that she had a small tear on her Achilles Tendon. Her injury is not allowing her to run in the trials, which is why she had to withdraw from them this time.

The Jamaican athlete showcased her strong determination to come back stronger will full recovery and added, "Not the birthday gift I was hoping for but God whatever you have in store for me I will wait, and I will still continue to work towards my goals that I haven't achieved yet."

In addition to this, Prime Minister Andrew Holness also expressed his sadness over the fact that the country's Olympic champion, the second fastest woman in history and currently the fastest alive, Elaine Thompson-Herah, has withdrawn from the National Championships and will therefore not compete at this summer's Paris Olympic Games.

He further wished that she recovers soon and well and added, "The entire Jamaica sends best wishes to Elaine for a full and speedy recovery."

It is to be noted that Thompson-Herah, who won the 100m and 200m at the last two Olympics, was preparing to join the legendary Usain Bolt as the only person to win the sprint double at three straight Olympics.