Sprint queen Elaine eyes records

Jamaica’s sprint queen Elaine Thompson-Herah, continued her sizzling form from last year when she won an indoor race in England on Saturday.

In her first international race since winning at the Wanda Diamond League final in Zurich, the five-time Olympic gold medallist won the 60 metres at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix in 7.08 seconds to kick start a busy schedule.

Back in the arena where she ran her personal best of 6.98secs in 2017, the 29-year-old – who now sits second on the world all-time lists for 100m and 200m thanks to respective personal bests of 10.54secs and 21.53secs ran last year – held off Britain’s Daryll Neita (7.11secs) and Switzerland’s world 200m bronze medallist Mujinga Kambundji (7.13secs).

“It's a good win and although I wanted to go under seven seconds, I'm good,” said Thompson-Herah, who competed at the Copernicus Cup World Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Torun, Poland on Tuesday. “It's part of my training process and I'm still thinking about the World Indoors.” The Birmingham run was her first indoor race in three years. The 60m indoor world record stands at 6.92secs, set by Irina Privalova in 1993.

Thompson-Herah claimed gold medals at the Tokyo Games in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m and is using the indoor season to sharpen her speed for an attack on the outdoor records later on. She is so determined to maximise her potential both commercially and competitively that she is now being represented by Andisportsmanagement. She was previously represented by agent Adrian Laidlaw.

Andisportsmanagement, run by Jamaican Olympian Marvin Anderson, also represents Andre Ewers, Natasha Morrison, Jaheel Hyde and Christine Day. Thompson-Herah also recently parted ways with coach Stephen Francis and the MVP Track Club which had guided her career since 2014.

She explained her reason for the split. “I've outgrown the environment at MVP pretty much enuh. What I want for myself and to better myself, that was not provided so I have to find ways to get it. I want to be better, to be the greatest female sprinter of all-time.”

Thompson-Herah is focused on breaking Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 34-year-old 100m world record of 10.49secs. “It gives me the drive to get up in the morning to do what I’ve got to do,” she said. “But the work has to go in. To get that record you have to be in perfect shape, have perfect weather and a good line-up.

“I will not put pressure on myself, but when that day comes I will nail it. I’m going to nail it. Whenever I get that race, I’ve just got to get it right.”

She is undecided on whether to compete at next month’s World Indoor Championships in Belgrade. “I want to go below my PB of course and if I could get the world record, no problem,” she added. “But I’m not putting myself under any pressure. I’m using these races to see where I’m at right now.”