Julian Forte’s long-awaited comeback turned into heartbreak in a matter of seconds. The 32-year-old Jamaican sprinter was dramatically wheeled off the track in the men’s 4x100m repechage round. There had already been a disastrous baton exchange in Heat 1 of the men’s 4×100 meters a day earlier. What began as a promising run quickly unraveled during the second handoff, when the baton failed to make it from Forte to Yohan Blake. And now, fans in the Guangdong Olympic Stadium looked on in stunned silence as Forte was taken away in a wheelchair.

A crushing halt to what might have been his final World Relays appearance. Team Jamaica had come in as one of the favorites and with good reason. Rohan Watson opened with a solid 10.61-second leg, giving the island nation a fighting chance. Forte, carrying years of battle scars from a career plagued by injuries. Hamstring, shin, adductor, glute, you name it was right in the mix.

But at the critical moment, things fell apart. Forte’s collapse sealed Jamaica’s fate in a devastating, all-too-familiar fashion. Track & Field Informant Owen took to X, stating, “Heartbreak for Jamaica 🇯🇲 in the men’s 4x100m repechage round as Julian Forte pulls up with an injury 😔💔” For Julian Forte, this moment was a devastating echo of past struggles. After enduring a series of injuries over the past four years, Forte had contemplated retirement. “I was going to call it a career at the end of the national championships last year,” Forte admitted. “These things get frustrating, and I felt like maybe it was the best thing to do. It’s hard to deal with those disappointments over and over, especially knowing what I’m capable of.” 

Despite these challenges, Forte found renewed motivation through his belief in his potential and encouragement from his support system. He pushed through adversity, aiming for a comeback. However, the recent injury at the World Relays has cast uncertainty over his future in the sport, marking another heartbreaking chapter in his resilient yet tumultuous career. Earlier this season, Julian Forte looked like a man reborn. At the Gibson/McCook Relays, he blazed to a lifetime best, signaling that his comeback wasn’t just wishful thinking. It was real. “I don’t generally suffer the same injury all the time. It’s usually something else that rears its head,” Forte had admitted candidly.

But just months later, the scene couldn’t be more different. The same legs that carried him to triumph now gave out beneath him on the world stage.

Julian Forte’s relentless battle to keep his speed alive

Julian Forte’s electric win in the men’s 60m at the Gibson/McCook Relays wasn’t just a headline. It was a statement. Bursting ahead in the third and final section, he clocked a lifetime best of 6.48 seconds, shaving off 0.07 from his previous mark set back in 2017. It was a tight battle to the line, with Nishion Ebanks also recording 6.55, but Forte edged him by fractions. Behind them, high school phenom Gary Card crossed in 6.57, marking a personal best of his own. For Forte, it was more than just a race. It was proof that despite the wear and tear of a turbulent career, he still had that top-tier gear.

And that gear has been hard-earned. After nearly walking away from the sport following a slew of injuries, Forte found strength in the voices around him. “When I spoke to them after the championships last year, all of them were like, ‘Don’t give up. You have it, you just need to find a way to get to the bottom of these injuries and push through.’ That really motivated me to keep going,” he shared with Sportsmax.TV. That encouragement, paired with an unwavering belief in his own potential, pulled him back from the edge.

Forte’s resilience stems from the mystery of untapped greatness. “It’s not knowing what I’m capable of that keeps me going because I feel like I can get it right,” he said. That fighting spirit has been tested time and again over the past four years, as injuries cropped up unpredictably never the same issue twice. Hamstring one season, shin the next. And now, time has tested him once again with heartbreak on the global stage. Just as momentum was building, the World Relays delivered another cruel twist, forcing him off the track in a wheelchair.