by Larry Eder
Elaine Thompson is the 2021 Olympic champion, still called the Tokyo 2020 Olympics even though it happened one year later. In any case, Elaine Thompson won the Olympic gold. Then, after that meeting, she went to Nike Pre Classic and ran 10.54!
Where is she this season? Why does everyone ask about a world record, about not if Elaine with break the world record, but when?
Fortunately, Elaine Thompson listens to her own muse and is doing just fine.
But she has one goal that is bigger than a world record.
Elaine Thompson wants to win an individual gold medal in the World Championships, and she has her sights set on the World Athletics Championships gold at the women’s 100 meters.
Elaine Thompson-Herah, Rabat DL, June 5, 2022, photo by Diamond League AG
The 2022 season has started out well for Elaine Thompson, the Tokyo Olympic champion at 100 meters, and the current fastest woman in the world. Last summer, at the very end of the season, Elaine Thompson blasted a 10.54 for the 100 meters, just five hundredths off the ancient world record of one Florence Griffith Joyner. So much of that 100m record is clouded in some controversy, regarding a possible malfunction of the wind gauges in Indianapolis, Indiana during the 1988 Olympic Trials.
We first saw Elaine on the medal podium in Beijing in 2015. She took the 200m silver in a to the finishing lunge with Dafne Schippers, and she too gold on the 4x100m relay.
In Rio 2016, Elaine Thompson-Herah won both the 100 meters and 200 meters. In London in 2017, she took fifth in the 100m, dealing with debilitating Achilles challenges. In 2019, Elaine took fourth in Doha in the 100m, again dealing with injury issues.
In Tokyo 2021, (called Tokyo 2020 maddeningly), Elaine Thompson won both the 100m and 200m, defending her titles from Rio. After that, Elaine was part of the Jamaican 4x100m relay, taking gold, and giving her three amazing gold medals in Tokyo.
Elaine Thompson-Herah told BBC that her 10.54 in 2021 Nike Pre surprised even her, photo by Kevin Morris / @kevmofoto
She then ran the 10.54 for the 100m at the Nike Pre meet last summer, and no one has stopped speaking about the world record since then.
In fact, this morning, this writer spoke with BBC World Sports with BBC’s Ed Harry about how Elaine Thompson is poised for greatness this year. Ed Harry made the comment that Elaine has still not won individual gold in the World Championships. I noted that while she is most definitely capable of the World Record, that is not her goal at this time. Elaine Thompson wants gold in Eugene in an individual event, and that event is the 100m.
The World Record will come when it comes.
In Rabat, Elaine Thompson-Herah was not the first out the blocks, and as usual, she began her domination of the event about 40 meters, and by 60 meters was going away. Her 10.83 was stress less, and second place, Marie-Josee Ta Lou, was in 11.11. Elaine put some serious real estate between her and the rest of the field!
After the race, Elaine Thompson-Herah had this to say to the media:
“I feel amazing about the race today. This is my 3rd time in Rabat and I’m super excited about the new meeting record of 10.83. For the next event in Rome, I’m following the same process and keeping up the same pace.”
Watch Elaine Thompson-Herah in Rome this week. Then watch her in five weeks in Eugene. It should be breath taking.
