Elaine Thompson-Herah, the two-time Olympic champion in the 100m and 200m, has announced she will miss the Paris Olympics due to an Achilles injury.
The 31-year-old Jamaican sprinter, who has five Olympic gold medals to her name, sustained the injury during the New York City Grand Prix on June 9 and had to be carried off the track.
Thompson-Herah, renowned for her exceptional sprinting prowess, is the only sprinter besides her compatriot Usain Bolt to have won multiple Olympic titles in both the 100m and 200m.
She was preparing to defend her 100m title, having opted out of the 200m trials in Jamaica.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, Thompson-Herah revealed that a “small tear on my Achilles tendon” has dashed her hopes of competing in her third Olympics.
“It’s a long road but I am willing to start over and keep working to make a full recovery and resume my track career,” she wrote.
“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.”
Jamaica has dominated the women’s 100m at the Olympics, securing gold in the event for the past four consecutive Games.
Thompson-Herah contributed significantly to this legacy, winning gold in both the 100m and 200m at the Rio 2016 Olympics and successfully defending her titles in Tokyo in 2021.
She also clinched her fifth Olympic gold in Tokyo as part of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team.