Olympic sprint double-double champion Elaine Thompson-Herah has identified herself as the G.O.A.T of female sprinting and promised that more achievements are to come.

Who is Elaine Thompson-Herah?

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Elaine Thompson-Herah made history as the first woman to successfully defend her sprint double title, having previously won it at the Rio 2016 games. She also helped Jamaica to gold in the 4x100m relay in Tokyo and silver in Rio 2016.

In Tokyo, Thompson-Herah delivered a spectacular performance in the women’s 200 metres final, achieving a personal best of 21.53. This effort surpassed Merlene Ottey’s national record of 21.64 seconds, a record that had stood for thirty years. However, Shericka Jackson broke this record a year later with a time of 21.45 to claim gold at the World Championships in Eugene 2022.

“I truly believe I am the greatest female sprinter of all time,” Elaine Thompson-Herah shared with journalists on Friday in Budapest 23, where she will represent Jamaica in the women’s 4x100m relay at the World Athletics Championships.

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Thompson-Herah finished fifth at the Jamaica Trials, thus securing her spot solely on the relay team. History indicates that Thompson-Herah’s most notable seasons have coincided with Olympic Games years. After her breakthrough year in Beijing 2015, where she won silver in the women’s 200m, Thompson-Herah’s only other individual medal—a bronze—came in Eugene 2022.

She has grappled with an Achilles tendon injury for the past five years. Amidst this challenge and a coaching change, Thompson-Herah remarked, “I am just working on myself and aiming for a comeback.”

“I have a feeling that something significant and even better is on the way,” she expressed. “I’m choosing to be patient and wait for whatever God has planned for me, especially after a season that was truly challenging.”

Thompson-Herah admitted there are moments she contemplates giving up, but she confidently added, “I’m stronger than that. I give myself the space to cry and release my emotions, but I’m alright now.”