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Powell had admitted at 'losing respect' for Boldon for claiming Thompson-Herah was finished as a top level athlete, which has prompted the former 200m world champion into clapping back at him.
Retired Trinidadian sprinter Ato Boldon has clapped back at Asafa Powell for rubbishing his sentiments about Elaine Thompson-Herah’s career at the highest level being ‘done’.
Boldon has sparked a heated debate in the athletics community after his recent comments about Elaine Thompson-Herah, suggesting that her career at the highest level is effectively over due to recurring injuries.
Boldon’s remarks, made during an interview with Letsrun.com, quickly drew the ire of fellow sprinter Asafa Powell, who defended his countrywoman and criticized Boldon for what he deemed an insensitive analysis.
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Thompson-Herah, who has been plagued by injuries throughout much of her career, was forced to withdraw from the Olympics, further fueling concerns about her ability to return to her peak form.
Boldon, however, expressed doubt about her future in the sport, stating, “Elaine has done everything in the sport and she has achieved a lot. However, I think she is not coming back, with the injury and all that stuff.”
Powell, known for his loyalty to fellow Jamaican athletes, was quick to respond, expressing his disappointment in Boldon’s comments.
“I lost a lot of respect for him…he said, you know, because as an athlete that everyone looks up to, you know he made his career through competing.
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12:09 - 03.08.2024
Retired Trinidadian sprinter clarifies why he said Elaine Thompson-Herah's 'body is done'
The four-time Olympic medallist set the record straight on what he meant when he said Elaine Thompson-Herah's glamorous career could be over.
“ He also shared in the podcast that he knew I was not going to run the last three seconds but I’m okay with that’s in the past and I’m retired. I’m fine with that and I have no problem,” Powell said.
Powell continued his defense of Thompson-Herah, criticizing Boldon’s perceived lack of empathy for an athlete striving to overcome injury.
“For an athlete to be trying their best to come back to health and come back in the sport, and try and be the Olympic champion again and for him to say that the athlete is done, I’ll ask for a lot of respect for that athlete,” Powell added.
In response, Boldon stood by his original statements, firmly asserting his opinion while acknowledging the difficulty of Thompson-Herah’s situation.
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18:23 - 07.08.2024
Jamaican legend jumps to Elaine Thompson-Herah's defense following Ato Boldon's comments on her career
The Jamaican sprint legend pointed out that he has lost a lot of respect for Trinidanian former sprinter and politician Ato Boldon following 'demeaning' remarks he made about Elaine Thompson-Herah.
“I think Elaine Thompson is the best sprinter that has ever walked the earth. I have Shelly-Ann number one all time in the 100 and Elaine all time in both the one and the two,” Boldon stated.
Reflecting on Thompson-Herah’s struggles with injury, he explained, “Because I have seen her struggle with injury for what seems like every non-Olympic year and because of how hard it is to do what she has done, my statement was, ‘I do not think the Elaine that won those two medals in Tokyo and in Rio is going to show up again’.”
Boldon remained unapologetic about his views, adding, “As far as I am concerned, Elaine is done being that version of herself. If the fans want to make that into an international incident, that is perfectly fine by me, I am used to it, but that is my opinion and if I am proven wrong, I will be happy because I like Elaine and I love watching her run.”
Despite the backlash, Boldon made it clear that his perspective comes from years of experience in the sport.
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22:00 - 24.08.2024
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“I am not going to get up in the who motivates, who has the right to say. I have been doing this for 20 years as a professional and before that, I ran for 16 years, so it is not like it is coming from a place of ‘well, how would he possibly know’?”
Boldon concluded by reiterating his stance, while also leaving the door open for Thompson-Herah to prove him wrong. “That is my opinion and I am going to stick with it. If Elaine proves me wrong, I will salute her and say I was wrong.”
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