After her golden run at Rio 2016, Elaine Thompson-Herah hit a major career bottleneck when a severe Achilles tendon injury derailed her momentum. The lingering issue affected her form through the 2017 and 2019 World Championships, and the struggle didn’t end there. In 2024 she suffered another minor Achilles tear, forcing her to withdraw from the Jamaican trials for the Paris Olympics. Now, the Jamaican sprint queen looks primed for a long-awaited resurgence, and the track world is watching.

She’d already dropped a major hint on Instagram about her comeback when she wrote, “It’s a long road, but I am willing to start over and keep working to make a full recovery and resume my track career.” Then, sources revealed that the world’s fastest woman had officially begun preparing for the 2026 season after years of battling persistent tendon injuries.

Now, Thompson-Herah has confirmed the news herself, posting fresh training photos on Instagram showing her back with the Elite Performance Track Club after leaving last year to reportedly join the Tumbleweed Track Club in Jacksonville, Florida. Sporting a fresh new haircut, the 33-year-old captioned the post, “Lost files of a big chop 💇🏾‍♀️ and back in training 🙏🏾…….If God puts a Goliath in front of you, He must believe there’s a David inside of you.”

Elaine Thompson-Herah has reunited with renowned coach Reynaldo Walcott, the same coach who guided ‘Pocket Rocket’ Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in her historic 2022 season. Making a dramatic return to the club, sources say she’s already been training there for the past three weeks. Thompson-Herah, the only woman to clinch the Olympic 100m and 200m titles at consecutive Games (2016 and 2021), has quietly been grinding with the group during this period.

With seven sub-10.7 clockings in a single season, a feat no woman had ever achieved before, she went on to capture her fifth 100m world title in Eugene, Oregon. With the world now waiting for the five-time Olympic champion’s return, her training photos and clips have created a whole new level of excitement. Let’s take a look at what fans have to say about her latest training footage.

Elaine Thompson-Herah’s training pics have caught the attention of the fans

It’s been two years since the Jamaican superstar last tasted the thrill of sprinting on the world stage. She attempted a comeback in 2024, but her season was cut short after suffering an Achilles injury at the New York Grand Prix in June, limiting her to just two races. As she works toward a full return, one fan summed up the collective excitement: “Welcome back Elaine!! It’s about time.”

Now 33, Elaine Thompson-Herah’s world record time of 10.54 in the 100m clocked at the 2021 World Champs still stands tall. But injury and time away from the sport have understandably made fans wonder about the form she’s returning in. “Really hope she can get back to her prime,” read one comment. Meanwhile, another fan rallied behind her comeback with, “Let’s rise the big machine.”

Her fanbase has always been electric. People would gather just for a glimpse of her, the only woman in history to have 48 finishes under 11 seconds in the 100 m. Celebrating her return, another ardent fan shared, “Words will never be enough to explain what this means to me!!! Let’s go Big Machine.” And in true internet fashion, one fan even went all in for her recovery, declaring, “She can have my Achilles I don’t even use them like that.”

There’s no doubt that Elaine Thompson-Herah is a rare talent, but as she prepares for her return, she will face a new wave of 100m and 200m athletes who are better prepared than ever, including the likes of reigning sprint champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Julien Alfred. Whether she can take them on remains to be seen; only time will tell.