Recovering Thompson-Herah says training for 2023 season on target
DOUBLE Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah says she has fully recovered from her injuries and is now working very hard in her preparation ahead of the 2023 season.
Thompson-Herah, who battled through a series of injuries this season, finished third in the women’s 100m final at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July.
Her compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce led home a one-two-three finish for Jamaicans with Shericka Jackson taking home the silver medal.
Thompson-Herah then finished a disappointing seventh in the final of the women’s 200m, which was won by Jackson in a lifetime best and national record 21.45 seconds.
The 30-year-old Thompson-Herah, who is currently the fastest woman alive in the 100m with a personal time and national record of 10.45, told the Jamaica Observer that her background training has been going well so far and her belief in self is very strong.
“It [training] has been going great so far because the work is never easy, it is really hard, but I am pushing myself and my friends and family are motivating me — and I am doing the best I can at the moment,” Thompson-Herah disclosed.
“I am always looking forward to a new season because I can’t dwell on the past. I am just more focused; and I have to keep working hard because my main target is just to be healthy and stay in the shape that I was,” she said.
Thompson-Herah underscored that she has put her injury troubles behind her because she is now concentrating on returning to her best next year.
“I have a lot of injuries this season and I have to just push that aside and just continue to work on my strength areas and just to stay motivated and to come on the track and just to perform at my best of my abilities,” she said.
Thompson-Herah is the third-fastest woman of all time in the 200m with 21.53, behind Jackson’s 21.45 and the American Florence Griffith-Joyner who is the fastest of all time over the distance with a time 21.34.
The former Manchester High School athlete shared she is expecting tough competition from everyone next season due to the fact that there are a lot of outstanding young athletes out there who will be aiming to overthrow their senior counterparts.
“I always love competition, and I do like it because it pushes you to reach your targets,” expressed Thompson-Herah. “As you know, if you have a target in your head then normally you alone cannot reach that target because you want that push. I am just praying that everybody stays healthy next year so that we can have the fire going on the track and we can push each other to whatever target that we are targeting,” Thompson-Herah concluded.