'I will be back'- Elaine Thompson-Herah declares after injury locks her out of Paris 2024 Olympics

'I will be back'- Elaine Thompson-Herah declares after injury locks her out of Paris 2024 Olympics

Abigael Wafula 04:37 - 27.06.2024

The fastest woman alive has promised to fight and make a strong comeback after revealing that she will miss the Olympic Games due to an injury.

Elaine Thompson-Herah’s bid for making history at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games has been faced with a major hit and will not be in action at the Jamaican Olympic trials due to an Achilles tendon tear.

Thompson-Herah was hoping to join the fastest man alive Usain Bolt in the books of history but she has been forced to withdraw from the trials. The Jamaican sprint queen is the defending champion in the 100m and 200m in the individual events and the relay team, that she was part of, also won the title.

She would be chasing her third Olympic title in the 100m and 200m after winning back-to-back titles in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and earlier this season, she was hopeful of going for a three-peat.

Follow the Pulse Sports Kenya X (Twitter) handle for more news.

The 31-year-old has faced an injury setback and struggled to get back in shape since last year’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where she missed a slot in competing at an individual event.

The fastest woman alive shared the heartbreaking news on her social media handles. She said: “It’s a long road but I am willing to start over and keep working and to make full recovery and resume my track career.

“I am hurt and devastated to be missing the Olympics this year but at the end of the day it’s sports and my health comes first.”

In a post on her X (Twitter) handle, Thompson-Herah said: “I will be back.”

The statement read: "I sat on the ground because I couldn't apply any pressure to the leg whatsoever as I was carried off the track. A medical examination later revealed a 'small tear' of the Achilles tendon.

"Funny enough I got back home with a strong mindset to keep pushing and prepare for my national trials another shot of my third Olympics but the leg wouldn't allow me to.”

However, she is not backing down and has promised that once she gets into shape, she will be sure to continue with her sprinting career.

“It's a long road but I am willing to start over and keep working and to make a full recovery and resume my track career,” she said.

She opened her season with a ninth-place finish at the Prefontaine Classic, the Diamond League Meeting in Eugene before finishing ninth at the USATF Grand Prix where she was seen limping after the race. She was then aided off the track for further medical attention.