Jamaica double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah remains convinced the correct call was made regarding the decision to change coaching camps last year.

Following the most successful year of her career, the 29-year-old made the controversial decision to part ways with the Steven Francis-led MVP track club, one of the most high-profile in international track and field.

Instead, the sprinter now trains with her husband, Derron Herah, and ahead of another big year in track and field is feeling comfortable.

“I think the change matches my aspirations and what I want this year,” Thompson-Herah told members of the media on Wednesday, ahead of the Rome Diamond League meet.

“I am definitely getting the love and support that I want for what I am working on.  Sometimes I think a change is good.  I am grown and I know what is best for my career and I’m sure I’ve chosen the right path.”

Heading into Thursday’s Diamond League showdown, over 200ms, the sprinter has won all of her races so far this season.

Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah admits she is yet to find her best form after being hampered by some early-season injury setbacks.

The Jamaican sprinter is set to face her most formidable challenge to date this term, at Thursday’s Diamond League meet in Rome. Thompson-Herah will face a quality field that includes 400m Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo, 200m World champion Dina Asher-Smith and compatriot Shericka Jackson over 200m.

In nine races so far this season, over both the 100 and the 200m, Thompson-Herah is yet to taste defeat.  She will be first to admit, however,  that it has been far from smooth sailing.

“I’m not 100 percent but I think I am a true fighter. I opened my season at Mt. SAC and I got a rotator (cuff) injury so I was in and out of practice.  You need your arms to run and every time I race I have discomfort in it, but I have to race, I have to see where I am at,” Thompson-Herah said at the pre-meet press conference on Wednesday.

“I think having (to compete) with an Achilles and shoulder injury you are a true fighter.  I know most athletes have something that they're going through they just don’t talk about it.  I hate to talk about my injuries,” she added.

With Jamaica’s national trials just a few weeks away, the athlete insists she is using the races to fine-tune her performance.

Reigning Olympic champions Elaine Thompson-Herah will be back in action on Sunday at the Rabat Diamond League, in Morocco, where she faces a quality field in the women’s 100m.

Lining up alongside Thompson-Herah will be experienced Ivory Coast sprinter Marie Jose Talou, Trinidad and Tobago star Michelle Lee Ahye, and compatriot Natasha Morrison.

Thompson-Herah heads into the event off the back of a dominant performance at the Prefontaine Classic last weekend where she got the better of United States sprinter Sha’arri Richardson, compatriot Shericka Jackson, and Great Britain athlete Dina Asher-Smith.  The Jamaican won the event in 10.79.

Elsewhere, another Jamaican Stephenie Ann Mcpherson will compete in the women’s 400m, while Shanieka Ricketts will compete in the women’s triple jump.

The Women’s 100m will be must-see TV at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday, May 28.

Reigning double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, Olympic 100m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson and controversial American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson are all down to compete in the showpiece event.

Thompson-Herah has the fastest season’s best heading into the race having run 10.89 to win her heat at the USATF Golden Games on April 16. She also ran 10.93 at the Puerto Rico International Athletics Classic on May 12 and 10.94 at the JAAA/SDF Jubilee Series at the National Stadium in Kingston on May 21.

Jackson has only run three 100m races so far this season with her best coming on May 7 when she ran 11.00 to win at the JAAA/SDF Jubilee Series at the National Stadium in Kingston. She also ran 11.12 for second at the Birmingham Diamond League on May 21 behind British 2019 World 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith, who will also be in the field in Eugene.

Richardson, who missed the Olympics last year after testing positive for marijuana at the US Olympic Trials, made her season debut on May 21 at the Duval County Challenge in Jacksonville running 11.27 to win.

The field will be rounded out by Ivorian speedster Marie Jose Talou, Jamaican Olympic 4x100m relay gold medallist Briana Williams, recently crowned World Indoor 60m champion Mujinga Kambundji of Switzerland and Americans Teahna Daniels and Twanisha Terry.

Jamaica 100m sprinter Oblique Seville ran the second-fastest time recorded over the distance this season after clocking 9.86 to take the event at the JAAA/SDF Jubilee Series.

Seville got away well before pulling away from the field to record a massive new personal best, shattering his previous mark of 10.00.  Conroy Jones took the second spot behind Seville in 10.14 seconds, with Emmanuel Archibald taking third in 10.20.

In the women’s equivalent, Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah dominated the field to take first place in 10.94.  Thompson-Herah pulled away down the stretch to finish well clear of second-place Remona Burchell who was next in 11.31 and Jodean Williams who was third in 11.40.

Reigning Olympic champions Hansle Parchment and Elaine Thompson-Herah were among winners at Thursday’s Puerto Rico International Classic in Ponce.

Parchment sped to a season’s best mark 13.15 for victory in the Men’s 110m hurdles ahead of the USA's current world leader Devon Allen (13.20) and Jamal Britt (13.30).

The Women’s 100m hurdles was won by the USA’s Alaysha Johnson in 12.50 ahead of Puerto Rican Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (12.52) and Jamaican 2015 World champion Danielle Williams (12.67).

Double Olympic sprint champion Thompson-Herah cruised to victory in the Women’s 100m in 10.93 ahead of Trinidad & Tobago’s Michelle Lee-Ahye (11.06) and the USA’s Shania Collins (11.08).

Bahamian reigning Olympic and World 400m champion Steven Gardiner won the Men’s 300m in 31.52 ahead of the USA’s Vernon Norwood (31.81) and Jamaica’s Nathon Allen (32.04).

2011 World and 2012 Olympic 400m champion Kirani James of Grenada was victorious in the Men’s one-lap event in a season’s best 44.70 ahead of Jamaica’s Sean Bailey (45.42) and the USA’s Trevor Stewart (45.50).

Jamaica’s Junelle Bromfield was third in the Women’s equivalent in 51.82 behind Americans Gabby Scott (51.42) and Olympic 800m champion Athing Mu (50.42).

Moving to the 400m hurdles, Jamaica’s Janieve Russell ran a season’s best 54.09 to win ahead of teammates Shiann Salmon (54.43) and Rushell Clayton (54.90).

In the field, Jamal Wilson of the Bahamas was victorious in the Men’s high jump with 2.22m ahead of the USA’s Jeron Robinson (2.17m) and Puerto Rico’s Luis Castro Rivera (2.17m).

Garth Gayle, President of the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association and Jamaica’s sports minister Olivia Grange have hailed Elaine Thompson-Herah on her historic win of the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award on Sunday.

No Jamaican female athlete had ever taken home the prestigious award that began in 2000.

The Jamaican sprint queen won on the back of her historic achievements last summer when she became the first woman in Olympic history to win the 100/200m sprint double at consecutive Olympic Games and added a third gold medal to her trophy case when she ran the second leg of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that won in a national record of 41.02.

She would go on to create even more history when she ran times of 10.54 to become the second-fastest woman of all time while winning the 100m in Eugene, Oregon, and then added times of 10.64 and 10.65 to be the only woman to run faster than 10.7 on four occasions.

Her achievements topped USA’s Allyson Felix (athletics), Australia’s Ashleigh Barty (tennis), Australia’s Emma McKeon (swimming) and USA’s Katie Ledecky and drew praise from the JAAA and the Jamaican government.

"Becoming the second Jamaican and the first female to win the prestigious Laureus Award is a significant achievement for Elaine and by extension Jamaica,” said Gayle.

“This is also a boost for women in track and field and other sports to aim for the highest. We are particularly proud of Elaine for her continuous achievements on and off the track. This definitely sets the tone for a great year for all our athletes.”

Meanwhile, in a missive from the United Kingdom where she will launch the Jamaica 60 programme of activities in the United Kingdom on Monday evening, Minister Grange said Thompson-Herah was most deserving of the honour of “best athlete in the world”.

“This latest success for the fastest woman alive is a tribute to Thompson-Herah’s hard work and sacrifice,” Minister Grange said.

Thompson-Herah is the second Jamaican to win the award. Usain Bolt, won the Laureus Sportsman of the Year in 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2017.

Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah sped to a world leading 10.89 in the 100m at the USATF Golden Games at the Mt SAC Relays in California on Saturday.

Thompson-Herah ran the time in the heats but didn’t take part in the final later that day.

Olympic gold medallist in the 4x100m relay Briana Williams was also fast in the heats with a time of 10.91 before eventually finishing fifth in the final with 10.97 with an illegal 3.3 m/s tailwind.

The USA’s Twanisha Terry ran 10.77 to win the final ahead of teammates Aleia Hobbs (10.80) and Gabby Thomas (10.86).

In the field, Laquan Nairn of the Bahamas leapt out to a personal best 8.22m to win the Men’s long jump ahead of the USA’s Will Williams (8.18) and Carter Shell (7.91).

Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd threw 18.92m to win the Women’s shot put ahead of Americans Jessica Woodard (18.77) and Jessica Ramsey (18.71).

Trinidad and Tobago’s Tyra Gittens cleared 1.85m for third in the Women’s high jump behind the USA’s Vashti Cunningham’s world leading 1.96m and Rachel McCoy’s 1.85.

Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah will be among the Caribbean athletes on show at the 2022 USATF Golden Games at the Mt SAC Relays at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, California on Saturday, April 16^th.

Thompson-Herah, who lowered her 100m personal best to 10.54 last season, will compete in the Women’s 100m at the meet which is a part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Series.

She will be joined in the race by her compatriot Briana Williams, Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle Lee-Ahye as well as the USA’s Olympic 200m bronze medallist Gabby Thomas. Aleia Hobbs, who has already run 11.06 this season, Twanisha Terry and Javianne Oliver are also down to compete.

Jamaica's Damion Thomas, Trinidad and Tobago's Ruebin Walters and Barbados' Shane Brathwaite will all be in the field in the 110m hurdles while Tynia Gaither of the Bahamas will be in the 200m.

Jamaica's Shiann Salmon and Andrenette Knight will be involved in the 400m hurdles. Their countryman Leonardo Ledgister will be in the men's equivalent.

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Shadae Lawrence will be in action in the Women’s discus going up against the USA’s Olympic champion from Tokyo, Valarie Allman, who threw a personal best and American record 71.46m in San Diego on April 8.

Elsewhere, in the field, Trinidad and Tobago’s Tyra Gittens will do battle with the USA’s Vashti Cunningham in the high jump. Gittens season-best of 1.95m, a height equaling her lifetime best, currently puts her at number two in the world. Jamaica's Kimberly Williamson will also be in the field.

2019 World Championship silver medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd will take part in the discus alongside fellow Jamaican Lloydricia Cameron.

Four-time Olympic medallist for Trinidad and Tobago Ato Boldon believes that Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce can both challenge Florence Griffith Joyner’s 34-year-old 100m World Record.

Currently the coach of young Jamaican sprinter Briana Williams, Boldon has tipped the Olympic gold and silver medallist from the 100m at last year’s Tokyo Olympics to challenge Joyner’s mark of 10.49 which she did at the US Olympic Trials in 1988.

“I think they’re both certainly capable,” he said in an interview with Athletics Weekly before going on to outline that he thinks Thompson-Herah may have a better chance at the record.

“I don’t know if anybody else in the immediacy can do that but I’d give Elaine a better chance just because of her form. She is so much better at 200m than so many others. I also don’t think you can look at her 10.54 at Hayward Field last year, considering she was kind of fatigued after coming off three gold medals in Tokyo, and not think there’s another five hundredths of a second somewhere to tie the 10.49,” he added.

As he mentioned, Thompson-Herah, who is 29-years-old, lowered her own personal best to 10.54 at the Eugene Diamond League last year leaving many, including Boldon, anticipating a record-breaking performance from her in the near future.

“I would probably be surprised if 10.49 survives Elaine Thompson-Herah’s career,” he said.

Fraser-Pryce, now 35-years-old, also had a stunning season in 2021, lowering her personal best to 10.60 at the Lausanne Diamond League in August.

“I don’t know how long Shelly-Ann has got left but I don’t think Tokyo was her last Olympics and I think she’ll go out after Paris in 2024. She has the talent as well. I mean, she ran 10.63 in April so anything is possible,” Boldon said.

Former Merlene Ottey High School sprinter Akeem Blake and Bahamian Olympian Anthonique Strachan stole the show at the 2022 staging of the John Wolmer Speed Fest at the National Stadium on Saturday.

Blake sped to 10.13 to win the Men’s 100m, a new personal best, ahead of former national champion Oshane Bailey (10.18) and 400m specialist and former Petersfield High standout Antonio Watson (10.21).

Just last week in Florida, Blake ran a then-personal best 10.17 to finish second in the Men's 100m at the Hurricane Invitational.

Strachan dipped below the 11-second barrier for the first time in her career, running 10.99 to win the Women’s 100m ahead of Shashalee Forbes (11.24) and Jodean Williams (11.54).

400m Hurdles semi-finalist at the Tokyo Olympics Jaheel Hyde ran a big personal best to win the Men’s 400m. The former Wolmer’s man clocked 45.78 to win ahead of Anthony Cox (46.09) and Keeno Burrell (47.65).

2011 World 100m champion Yohan Blake looked impressive, easing down before crossing the finish line in 20.95 to win his 200m heat. Also looking impressive in the Men's 200m was former STETHS man Nigel Ellis who won his section in 20.43.

Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah opened her outdoor season with a third-place finish in the Women’s 400m. She ran 56.72 to finish behind the 2019 World Championships 400m hurdles bronze medallist Rushell Clayton (54.41) and Gabrielle Matthews of the Queen's School (56.42).

Elaine Thompson-Herah was beaten by Poland’s Ewa Swoboda in the Women’s 60m at the Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland on Tuesday.

The 5-time Olympic gold medallist ran 7.04 to finish second behind world leader Swoboda who ran 7.03 for victory.

The 24-year-old Polish sprinter now has the three fastest 60m times in the world this year.

In other action, at the World Indoor Tour Gold event, Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas won the Women’s 60m hurdles in a season’s best 7.90 ahead of Finland’s Reetta Hurske with 7.96 and Hungary’s Luca Kozak with 7.97.

Tokyo Olympics triple gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah says she has no intention of going after the World Indoor 60m record this season but based on how well she has been training she would not rule out the possibility.

Sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah and sprint hurdler, Hansle Parchment, were named Jamaica’s National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year for 2021, at the RJRGleaner Sports Foundation National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards ceremony held on Friday night.

The event was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thompson-Herah had a phenomenal 2021 season, which included her winning the 100m at the Diamond League final in Zurich and running 10.54 at the Eugene Diamond League to become the fastest woman alive and second fastest woman of all time.

Her greatest achievement in 2021, however, would have to be when she became the first woman in history to win the sprint double at consecutive Olympic Games.

Backing up her exploits from Rio in 2016, Thompson-Herah produced times of 10.61 and 21.53 to win gold medals in both the 100m and 200m at the Tokyo Olympics, in addition to being a part of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team, alongside Briana Williams, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who finished as runner-up for the Sportswoman of the Year award, and Shericka Jackson, that won the gold medal in a national record 41.02.

Parchment shocked the world to win gold in the Men’s 110m Hurdles in Tokyo, nine years after his bronze medal performance at the London Olympics.

He ran 13.04 to win gold in Tokyo ahead of prohibitive favourite Grant Holloway of the USA.

The past student of Morant Bay High and Kingston College was also third at the Diamond League final in Zurich.

His teammate Ronald Levy, who was the runner-up for the Sportsman of the Year Award, took home the bronze medal in Tokyo.

Other major awards given out on the day include the Chairman's Award to veteran journalist Lance Whittaker; the People's Choice "Performance of the Year Award" to Fraser McConnell; the VM Group Y.O.U.T.H Award to sprinter Tina Clayton and the Gleaner Newspaper Iconic Award to Michael Holding.

Jamaica's treble Tokyo Olympic Games gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah has been named the AIPS Best Female Athlete of 2021.

This follows a poll by the International Sports Press Association, where a panel of 529 journalists from 114 countries voted for the champions of 2021. Joining Thompson-Herah in receiving the top honour is Polish footballer Robert Lewandowski, who has been named the AIPS Best Male Athlete of 2021.

The former Manchester High School student, who was named the World Female Athlete of the Year at the World Athletics Awards 2021 earlier this month, retained her Olympic 100m and 200m titles in Tokyo and added a third gold medal in the 4x100m relay. She also ran world-leading times of 10.54 and 21.53 over 100m and 200m respectively, moving to second on the world all-time lists for each discipline.

She topped the AIPS poll with 605 points, ahead of Spanish footballer Alexia Putellas (490 points) and Venezuela's world triple jump record-holder and Olympic champion Yulimar Rojas (346 points).

Other athletics stars joining Thompson-Herah and Rojas in the top 10 are Kenya's Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, who claimed 5000m and 10,000m titles in Tokyo as well as 1500m bronze.

Joining Lewandowski in the top 10 for the men's award are Norway's Karsten Warholm, who was named the World Athletics Male Athlete of the Year, plus his fellow world record-holders and Olympic champions Mondo Duplantis of Sweden and Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya.

Thompson-Herah has also been named Athletics Weekly’s Female Athlete of the Year, NACAC Female Athlete of the Year and Diamond League Athletics’ Most Consistent Athlete in women’s sprints for 2021.