Sports

World Champs: I’m not in the best shape right now, says Thompson-Herah

Loop News

July 19, 2022 1:24 AM ET

3 mins read

EUGENE, Oregon: After finishing third in the women’s 100m final at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday night, Elaine Thompson-Herah revealed that she has been facing a plethora of struggles leading up to track and field’s largest event outside of the Olympics.

“I’m not in the best shape of my life and still manage to come out and receive my first 100m medal. I have never medaled in a 100m before only the 200,” said the double Olympic sprint champion.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce led a Jamaican clean sweep of the event.

The 35-year-old Fraser-Pryce claimed her fifth world title after clocking 10.67 to edge Shericka Jackson and Thompson-Herah, the same three athletes who swept the Olympic podium in Tokyo last summer.

Leading up to Oregon22 there were talks that Thompson-Herah could break Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 34-year-old world record of 10.49 seconds. Less than a year ago, Thompson-Herah ran 10.54 on this very same track in the Prefontaine Classic to join Flo Jo as the only other woman to go lower than 10.6.

But Thompson-Herah said her struggles with injury, including a previously undisclosed issue with her shoulder did not give her a chance.

Despite not winning the gold medal after defeating Fraser-Pryce by a wide margin of 0.13 at the Tokyo Olympics almost a year ago, Thompson-Herah was proud that the same trio who podiumed at Tokyo 2020 repeated the feat in Oregon.

“I knew we were going to be one-two-three, didn’t know the order. But I’m just grateful for us to be part of that history. I think it’s our first time in a World Championships one-two-three – we did it last year at the Olympics and I’m just happy to be a part of that,” said Thompson-Herah.

“What motivates Elaine?” she responded when asked the question by a reporter. “Overcoming all my injuries and the obstacles I’m facing. This season I’ve had two injuries bothering me, the Achilles and a new injury – the shoulder.”

Thompson-Herah is now concentrating on the 200m semifinals on Tuesday.  She qualified for the semis following a second-place finish behind Namibia’s Beatrice Masilingi on Monday.

Thompson-Herah clocked 22.41 seconds and Masilingi, a season’s best 22.27.

No Jamaican has won the 200m since Fraser-Pryce in 2013.

Thompson-Herah, the two-time Olympic champion in the 100m and 200m, has a season’s best 22.05.