Elaine Thompson-Herah dreamt of reaching the Olympics at 31, and it was also within reach at Paris 2024. But before that dream could become reality, she suffered an Achilles tendon injury that forced her to pull out of the Jamaican trials. Without completing the trials, she could not qualify for Paris. For the next 20 months, she stayed in recovery and then returned in early 2026. Even then, she still felt occasional Achilles discomfort while running, but she did not let it control her race at the Boris Hanžeković Memorial.

On June 26 in Zagreb, Croatia, the fastest woman alive in the 100m showed everyone her class. Thompson-Herah produced a strong finish, pulling away in the last 20 metres to take victory in the women’s 100m. She stopped the clock at 10.91 seconds, her season’s best and a new meeting record, breaking the long-standing mark of 10.93 set in 1988. However, her rival, Brianna Lyston, finished second in 10.94, while Poland’s Ewa Swoboda took third in 10.98.

The performance stood out not just because of the win, but because of the way it came. The five-time Olympic gold medallist was in the middle of the pack through 60 metres before shifting gears in the second half of the race to seal the victory. And just after the win, she revealed, as shared by Olympics.com: “I would say it was hard, as I said I’m going through a minor setback, I’m having a little hamstring issue, but I’m just grateful that there was no pain,” said Thompson-Herah afterward.

She added, “I was running with my hamstring and not my brain. So I’m healthy, I’m happy that I crossed the line without any pain, so I’m grateful.” Interestingly, it was her best time in three years, a clear sign that her rhythm is slowly returning.

For context, in 2024 her best stood at 11.30. She did not compete at all in 2025. Earlier in 2026, she had already shown progress with a 10.92 run at Velocity Fest in Kingston’s National Stadium, but her 10.91 in Zagreb pushed her a step closer to her peak level again. That time places her in 10th place on the season-best list, tying with Tia Clayton. While the season’s fastest mark so far belongs to Adaejah Hodge at 10.63.

But at the same time, we can’t forget Thompson-Herah’s personal best 10.54, which makes her the second fastest woman in history behind Florence Griffith-Joyner, 10.49. That mark is also part of why she is taking a cautious approach in this phase of her career.

“I’m satisfied, I’m just rebuilding back, doing some races. I don’t care about the time, I just care about execution,” she said. “I’m still working on small stuff. This win is a small and a big win.”

But being 33 and still racing, the bigger question now is what comes next. Is Los Angeles 2028 still part of her vision?

Elaine Thompson-Herah returns strong, but time raises tough questions

After missing a long period of the season with injury, Elaine Thompson-Herah opened the 2026 season with a 60m run of 7.24sec at the Camperdown Classics in Kingston on April 19, 2026. She then returned to the championship stage for Jamaica at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, her first appearance in a global final since the 2022 World Championships. There, she helped Jamaica to victory in the 4x100m relay in 42.00 seconds.

“Track and field is my passion. It’s my love. Because I love it so much, I think that recovery part of it is easy. Not having pain is also a good feeling, of course,” she said, reflecting on her return. But age and injury history now sit in the background of every race. After sweeping 100m, 200m, and 4x100m gold at the Tokyo Olympics and later running a stunning 10.54 seconds at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic, her body has carried a heavy load over the years at the top.

She has admitted that the toll is real. “Running at that level, it takes a toll on my body,” she said. “Pretty much not competing last year, I think it has done a lot to me. I probably needed that rest away from the sport to clear myself and to come back. So using this season for me is like a rebuilding process.”

Even now, she keeps her focus simple. “I’m not focusing too much on championships, just rebuilding to get back to where I was..”  At 33, if Los Angeles 2028 is still in her mind, she would be 35 by then, which makes the road ahead even more uncertain in a sport that moves so fast. Whether she pushes all the way to another Olympic cycle or chooses to step away earlier is something only time will answer.