EUGENE, Oregon — Commonwealth Games steeple chase gold medallist and two-time national champion Aisha Praught-Leer hopes to be back competing later this year after returning from what was described as a “freak” injury, rupturing her meniscus in training.

The American-born Praught-Leer, who competed in the 1500m at the Tokyo Olympics despite the injury, told the Jamaica Observer she is almost ready to get back on the track and is hoping to get back in national colours come next year.

“I am getting there, the comeback is a long time. I had six months until I was fully back training and it’s a long road when you are coming [back]… but it’s a lot of healing and a lot of rehab to do, but I am getting back there,” the 32-year-old, who was in Eugene, Oregon, as part of the athletes commission as well as for training, said.

She said she is targetting competition in Europe later this year.

“I am very close and would say about 99.5 per cent healthy, which is pretty good. I am feeling good and getting fitter, but I want to come back fully before I put my name in for a championships and I want to be running on all cylinders.”

In July last year, just before the Olympics, Praught-Leer posted on social media that, while training, she “heard and felt a painful pop doing a drill,” but that she then proceeded to do “one of the best workouts” of her life.

The pain she felt was a complete tear of “a freak, shocking accident,” which the doctor told her would require surgery as soon as possible.

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan confirmed the injury. Praught-Leer competed at the Tokyo Games, despite the injury, and placed 13th in her heat of the 1500m with a time of 4:15.31 minutes.

— Paul A Reid