Source: Jamaica Gleaner
DOUBLE-DOUBLE OLYMPIC champion Elaine Thompson Herah has made interesting revelations about the race where she clocked 10.54 seconds to become the second-fastest woman of all time.
Thompson Herah, speaking with former world record holder Asafa Powell on his podcast ‘Fast Lane Lifestyle’, said the 2021 clocking, done at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, was a complete surprise.
“Record was the last thing on my brain, I had won the Olympics, so I was just relaxing. To tell the truth, I think that was one of the slowest races that I’ve ever run in my head, when I came back around, I said to Mr. Rowe (physiotherapist) that I didn’t start well and I felt lousy, which was from the warm-up. I didn’t feel that 10.54.
“I normally say that if you’re running fast and doing the correct things, you’re not going to feel it, but if you’re trying to run fast, you’re going to feel like it’s your fastest race, but it’s your slowest race ever and I felt so uncomfortable,” said Thompson Herah.
Host Powell, who twice held the Men’s 100-metre world record, agreed with the sentiments shared by Thompson Herah before she further stated that her level of respect for the man dubbed ‘Sub-10 king’ has been evident since she was a child.
“I respect Asafa since I was a little child. I don’t remember if it was from the World Champs or Olympics, but he was in the newspaper and I took that (picture) out and put it on my wall, to this day in the country (Banana Ground, St Elizabeth) at my yard,” she disclosed.
The 30-year-old Thompson Herah, who is the third fastest of all time over the 200 metres (21.53), hinted that among the things she hopes to achieve in 2023 would be to turn up to a major championship injury free.
“There’s no season where I haven’t had niggles or [been] pain-free. I haven’t had that season as yet. In the first Olympics that I went to, I had [a] hamstring plus [an] Achilles injury. Tokyo, I wasn’t 100 percent, and you could see that from the trials. So, [if] I have that one season where I just train and compete, I would be very happy.”
Thompson Herah stated that it is also imperative for current athletes to think about life after track and field as only a select few are gaining massive endorsement deals to take care of themselves after retirement.
“For example, if Flow or NCB didn’t sponsor me and I didn’t have a Puma contract, what would I have, how would I survive? I see a lot of other persons can brag about their country, they can get a stipend, they get hair, they [get] clothes but we don’t get anything.”
orane.buchanan@gleanerjm.com