Two-time women’s 100-meter gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica is battling nagging injuries going into the Prefontaine Classic.
“I’m a tough cookie,” Thompson-Herah said.
Thompson-Herah dropped out of last week’s Birmingham Diamond League meet due to discomfort in her Achilles while training, so this will be her outdoor season debut.
“My injury does not require surgery, and it is very frustrating,” she said. “Some days I have to sit on the side, not able to train.”
Thompson-Herah is also dealing with a shoulder dislocation, saying, “I wasn’t able to practice as much as I can, but I am still determined to compete.”
At last year’s Prefontaine Classic, Thompson-Herah ran a personal best of 10.54 seconds, .05 seconds off of the world record belonging to Florence Griffith-Joyner just a few weeks after her triple crown at the Tokyo Olympics, winning gold in the 100, 200 and 4×100 meter relay.
“This sport is a hectic one,” she said. “It’s unforgiving as well, year in year out. You just try to bounce back and come back and I have done that many times and I’m still here doing my thing.”
Sha’Carri Richardson returns to Hayward Field after finishing ninth, running 11.14 at last year’s Prefontaine Classic. Richardson has not been able to break the 11-second mark after running a 10.86 at last year’s Olympic Trials.
Dina Asher-Smith will be competing in her second Diamond League meet, coming off her win at Birmingham last week, running 11.11. At last year’s Prefontaine Classic, Asher-Smith finished third in the 200 behind Mujinga Kambundji and Gabrielle Thomas.
Shericka Jackson, the bronze medalist at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, comes back to Eugene for her second Prefontaine Classic. This is Jackson’s second Diamond League meet; she ran her first last week at Birmingham finishing .01 seconds behind Asher-Smith.
