Elaine cops another Athlete of the Year award

RESPECTED US publication TRACK AND FIELD NEWS has named Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson Herah its female Athlete of the Year for 2021.

In a December 21 story, TRACK AND FIELD NEWS detailed her journey from early season doubt to a glorious sprint double at the Tokyo Olympics, with Thompson Herah ending with the hope that her performances would inspire the next generation.

She has now scored a hat-trick of top awards.

In recent weeks, World Athletics and the British journal ATHLETICS WEEKLY both named her as their Athlete of the Year.

Asked about her triumph over nagging injuries, she replied, “I keep fighting through all those obstacles and those hurdles that I’ve been hurdling. For me to come back and dominate, I still came to work, I still put up the fight. I keep dreaming, keep doing what I do to inspire younger generations.”

TRACK AND FIELD NEWS pinpointed the moment her fortunes changed.

“The first fruits came on July 6 at Hungary’s Gyulai Memorial, where she blasted the straightaway in 10.71, the No. 11 performance ever,” staff writer Jeff Hollobaugh essayed of her win over Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce in Budapest over 100 metres.

Third in both the 100 and 200 behind Fraser-Pryce at the National Championships, Thompson Herah only lost once after that, again to her compatriot in Lausanne, 10.60–10.64, recording the fastest runner-up time in history.

WRITTEN AFFIRMATIONS

Hollobaugh recounted a BBC story that revealed the 29-year-old had been writing a series of affirmations every day: “I will run 10.5. I will run 21.5. I can do it. I am a winner. I am a champion. I will be the fastest woman alive. Say it, believe it, work for it and pray for it. I will be the double Olympic champion. Today is my day. I am the greatest.” In Tokyo, she clocked 10.61 seconds to lead a Jamaica 1-2-3 with Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson in the 100, and she returned to repeat her 2016 sprint double by winning the 200 in 21.53 seconds.

In August, she clocked 10.54 for the 100, just 0.05 away from the world record of 10.49 seconds.

She recorded one minor regret about Tokyo. “I could have run 10.5, if I was not celebrating. I didn’t realise I’d done the pointing. I think my body knew I wanted to win so badly. If I could run it back over, I would run straight to the line,” said the sprinter whose 2021 times make her the second fastest in history.

That victory was the fourth straight Olympic 100 metre gold medal performance coached by Stephen Francis of the MVP Track Club, as Fraser-Pryce had won in both 2008 and 2012.

TRACK AND FIELD NEWS named American shot putter Ryan Crouser as its male Athlete of the Year. Crouser set world records indoors and out and went undefeated in a season topped by gold in Tokyo.