Thompson awaits injury update

After being forced to withdraw from the 200m and 4x100m at the recent World Championships in Doha owing to calf and Achilles issues, double Olympic sprint ­champion Elaine Thompson will be advised in two weeks’ time on the course of ­treatment necessary and timeline for recovery.

In a post to one of her social-media accounts recently, the 27-year-old Thompson was seen with an orthopaedic boot on her left leg.

Thompson’s representative and president of MVP Track Club, Bruce James, noted that the athlete was wearing the protective device on the advice of her medical team to ensure no further complications or damage.

“The medical team is still working to get her to where we need her to be,” James told The Gleaner yesterday. “So we are ­reserving ­comment until the medical team has ­finalised it. The first step that the team proposed, though, was to put her in a boot to make sure that no additional damage was done.”

James went on to state that they should receive an update in the next two weeks in terms of the next steps that should be taken towards her recovery and the timetable for her return to the track.

“The medical team is to let us know within two weeks what the expected timelines are. So they are going through the various steps now, and in another two weeks, we expect to get comprehensive feedback,” James said.

Thompson, who had complained of ­soreness in her Achilles tendons, had a disappointing World Championships campaign in Qatar, finishing fourth in the 100m final before withdrawing from the 200m semi-final and bringing an end to her participation at the championships.

MVP Track club coach Stephen Francis ­confirmed to The Gleaner shortly after her withdrawal that the sprinter was suffering from tightness in her calves, which in turn caused extra stress to her Achilles tendons. Francis noted at that point that the team would be seeking a solution to the long-standing issue in the off-season.

“Hopefully, we can come to a solution and see if there is a permanent fix,” Francis said. “I doubt that a surgery will be involved because she has not had a ruptured tendon or anything like that. She has extremely tight calves, which put her lower feet under pressure. So we have to find a methodology to deal with that issue so that she can prepare and race properly.”

Meanwhile, James shared that Thompson is focused on getting back on the track and back to her best in time for next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, where she will be ­looking to successfully defend the 100m and 200m titles she won four years ago in Rio de Janeiro.

“Elaine is determined to get back to her very best. She is taking all the necessary steps to make sure that she is at her best for the Tokyo Olympics,” James said.