For three-time-time Olympic sprint legend Elaine Thompson-Herah, the wait to represent her country is finally over. The 33-year-old Jamaican, who holds the title of the fastest woman alive with a 10.54-second 100m personal best, is gearing up to make her long-awaited return to international competition for Jamaica at the 2024 World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, marking her first national team appearance since the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
After a devastating Achilles injury that sidelined her from all competition in 2023 and limited her to just two races early in 2024, Thompson-Herah has quietly put together a solid opening to her comeback season. Last month at Kingston’s Velocity Fest held at the National Stadium, she clocked 10.92 seconds in the 100m, a time that slots her in as the third-fastest woman in the world over the distance this year. That result has given the five-time Olympic gold medalist the confidence to step back onto the global relay stage, where she will compete in the women’s 4x100m as part of Jamaica’s third heat, alongside top squads from France, Germany, and Nigeria.
In an interview ahead of the competition, the two-time Olympic 100m and 200m champion (2016 Rio de Janeiro and 2020 Tokyo) opened up about the grueling physical and mental struggles she navigated during her time away from the track. Following her historic 10.54-second run, pushing to match that world-class pace took a significant toll on her body, leaving her Achilles severely compromised. The full year off from competition, she says, was exactly what she needed to reset both physically and mentally.
“I’ve always called myself a tough cookie,” Thompson-Herah said. “I leaned on my faith, my support team, and my own inner strength to get through this. This season isn’t about rushing to get back to peak form—it’s a rebuilding process. I’m not putting unnecessary pressure on myself; I’m just taking it one step at a time.”
While she has not yet returned to her signature sub-10.6-second 100m and sub-21.6-second 200m form, Thompson-Herah says she is encouraged by the steady progress she has seen in training and early races. Once the lingering pain from her injury fades completely, she believes she can once again compete at the highest level. “I still have so much more left in me,” she said. “I’m unleashing the beast day by day, one step at a time. When I’m fully healthy, this season is going to be exciting.”
Beyond the World Relays, Thompson-Herah has her sights set on defending her sprint double title at the upcoming Commonwealth Games, framing this comeback season as both a recovery period and a stepping stone to future success. She is part of a star-studded Jamaican women’s 4x100m squad that also includes Olympic medalists Shericka Jackson and twin sprinters Tia and Tina Clayton, one of the most deep and talented relay pools in the competition. A top-two finish in their heat and advancement to Sunday’s final will secure Jamaica’s qualification for the 2025 World Athletics Championships scheduled for Beijing.
When asked about the possibility of challenging the 40.82-second women’s 4x100m world record set by the United States in 2012, Thompson-Herah played down expectations, emphasizing that the team’s primary focus is on securing qualification and competing well. “We’re not fixated on the world record right now,” she explained. “If everything lines up—good weather, clean baton exchanges—it could happen, but our main goal is to have a solid, fun competition and get the job done. This is a young team, but we have a lot of talent and great energy, and I’m confident we’ll perform.”
For the Jamaican men’s 4x100m squad, the team will be without star sprinters Oblique Seville and Kishane Thompson for the competition, and they have been drawn in heat 2 alongside competitive squads from Canada and Spain. The World Athletics Relays kicked off its first day of competition with the mixed 4x100m at 7:05 am local time, followed by the mixed 4x400m at 7:30 am. The women’s 4x400m was scheduled to start at 8:55 am, with the men’s 4x400m closing out the day’s action at 9:30 am. Alongside the headline women’s 4x100m squad, Jamaica has fielded full competitive squads for all relay events, with emerging young talents and experienced veterans set to represent the country across men’s, women’s, and mixed competitions.