Born: 1992
Elaine Sandra-Lee Thompson-Herah OD (née Thompson; born June 28, 1992) is a Jamaican sprinter who competes in the 60 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters. Regarded as one of the greatest sprinters of all time, she is a five-time Olympic champion, the fastest woman alive in the 100 meters, and the second fastest alive in the 200 meters.
Thompson-Herah is the first ever female sprinter, and the second sprinter after Usain Bolt, to win the sprint double at consecutive Olympics, capturing 100 meters and 200 meters gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and defending both titles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. A six-time Olympic medalist, she rose to prominence at the 2015 World Athletics Championships, winning silver in the 200 meters and, at the time, becoming the fifth fastest woman in history over the distance. The next year at the Rio Olympics, she became the first woman since Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988 to win 100 meters and 200 meters gold at the Olympics.
After the Rio Olympics, Thompson-Herah was plagued by an Achilles tendon injury, which affected her performance at the 2017 World Athletics Championships and the 2019 World Athletics Championships. However, she returned to the top of athletics at the Tokyo Olympics, retaining her 100 meters title in a new Olympic record of 10.61 seconds, and her 200 meters title in a new personal best and national record of 21.53 seconds. After winning a third gold medal in the 4 × 100 meters relay, she became the third sprinter after Griffith-Joyner and Bolt to complete an Olympic sprinting triple.
At the 2021 Prefontaine Classic, Thompson-Herah set another 100 meters personal best, Jamaican, and Diamond League record of 10.54 seconds, becoming the first woman to break the 40 km/h barrier, then ran times of 10.64 seconds and 10.65 seconds. For her season, she was voted Laureus Sportswoman of the Year, and World Athletics World Female Athlete of the Year. One of the most dominant sprinters in the world, she is the 100 meters 2019 Pan American Games champion and a three-time Diamond League winner. In 2022, retired American sprinter Michael Johnson called Thompson-Herah and her compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce the two greatest female sprinters of all time.
Early life:
Thompson-Herah is a native of Banana Ground in Manchester Parish, Jamaica. Running for Christiana High School and later Manchester High School, she was a good but not outstanding scholastic sprinter; her best result at the Jamaican ISSA Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships came in 2009, when she placed fourth in the Class Two 100 meters in 12.01 seconds. In 2011, her final year at Manchester High, she was left off the track team for disciplinary reasons.
Awards:
– Olympic Games: Gold (100 meters, 2016 Rio; 100 meters, 2020 Tokyo; 200 meters, 2016 Rio; 200 meters, 2020 Tokyo; 4 × 100 meters relay, 2020 Tokyo)
– World Championships: Silver (200 meters, 2015 Beijing)
– Pan American Games: Gold (100 meters, 2019 Lima)
– Diamond League: 3-time winner