Elaine Thompson Herah – Female Person of the Year 2021

There was nothing but pride felt across the diaspora in 2021 as track and field fans watched Elaine Thompson Herah assert her dominance and earn the title of “Fastest Woman Alive”. 

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In the first Olympic games since Usain Bolt’s retirement, Thompson Herah gave Jamaicans a reason to be hopeful and something for which to cheer. The Jamaican ace sprinter dominated world sprinting at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, where she won three gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relays. Thompson Herah was also the first woman to retain the sprint double at the Olympic Games.

And as if she hadn’t already proven herself, Thompson Herah went on to clock a world-leading time of 10.54 seconds at a Diamond League event in August to affirm her title. She was just 0.05 seconds shy of the women’s 100m record of 10.49 set by American Florence Griffith Joyner. The 10.54 marked a new personal best for the fastest woman alive and a new meet record.

Olympic champion, Diamond queen

In addition to setting an Olympic record, a Diamond League record and many more storming performances in between, the 29-year-old shattered the Zurich 100m Diamond League record when she clocked a dominant 10.65 for her ninth sub-10.80 run of the year in September.

The Jamaican earned her third Diamond League title by pulling away from Dina Asher-Smith of Britain, second in 10.83. She was one of several Olympic champions who finished the season-long Diamond League circuit with a win. Thompson Herah capped off the season by winning the Diamond Trophy, the top $30,000 prize, and a wildcard entry to the World Athletics Championships in Oregon 2022.

Female Athlete of the Year

For the best season of her career, Thompson Herah received many accolades. She was named Female Athlete of the Year by the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association, Track and Field News Female Athlete of the Year, won the Female World Athlete of the Year award at the World Athletics Awards, and was named the AIPS Best Female Athlete of 2021. She also received a diplomatic passport from the Government of Jamaica and was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Technology in Jamaica.

Those who tuned in to the genesis of Elaine’s career were not surprised by the sprinter’s dominance, despite several injuries that seemingly stalled her progress. 

From schoolgirl to Queen of the track

The Banana Ground, Manchester native, ran track for Christiana High School and later Manchester High School. After high school, the University of Technology, Jamaica track coach, Paul Francis, recruited her. Later she trained with his brother Stephen Francis, MVP Track Club head coach. With MVP coaching, Thompson’s times started improving steadily.

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In 2014, Thompson Herah won her first intercollegiate title, placed fifth in 11.26s at the national championships, and had a season-best of 11.17s. Thompson made her international breakthrough in 2015. In March, she repeated as Jamaican intercollegiate champion and broke 11 seconds for the first time at the UTech Classic, running a world-leading 10.92 seconds. She then ran 10.97 seconds at the Jamaica International Invitational in Kingston, defeating a field that included Blessing Okagbare and Allyson Felix.

In 2016, Thompson Herah set a personal best in the 100m with a time of 10.70s, winning the event at the Jamaican Championships for that year’s Olympic Games.

In the 100m final of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Thompson Herah won the gold medal with a time of 10.71s, ahead of Tori Bowie and the 2012 London Olympics winner Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce. Elaine won her second gold in the 200m final, clocking 21.78s. She was the first female Jamaican sprinter to win the 100m and 200m at one Olympic Games and the seventh overall. She also ran in the national 4×100 m relay team, which placed second, thus leaving Rio de Janeiro with three medals.

Setbacks that pushed the queen forward

In 2019, Thompson Herah pulled out of the Doha World Championships due to a nagging Achilles injury she sustained in 2018. This decision was just after a fourth-place finish in the 100m final. She returned to the track in 2021, ready to silence those who had written her off.

In 2021, after wrapping up her most successful track season to date, Thompson Herah announced that she was leaving the MVP Track Club and would no longer receive coaching from Stephen Francis. Andisportsmanagement is now representing her. 

Elaine Thompson Herah’s next major task will be earning World Champion titles in the 100m and 200m at the World Championships scheduled for July in Eugene, Oregon. She will also aim to shatter the 100m world record of 10.49 seconds and take her place next to Usain Bolt as the greatest sprinter of all time.