Home

Olympics

“I’m Hoping You Stay Healthy”: Sports World Sends Support as World’s Fastest Woman Alive Loses to American Star in a Season Opener

Published 04/15/2023, 5:45 AM EDT

Follow Us

via Reuters

About two years ago, Elaine Thompson-Herah became the center of attention after winning multiple gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Her 3 track and field gold medals, on top of 2 gold medals at the Rio Olympics 2016, made her a powerhouse in athletics. However, just recently, in a surprising turn of events, Elaine Thompson-Herah lost a 200m race to the rising American track and field sprinter Melissa Jefferson. Her legion of fans wishes her a strong comeback.

Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah recently came 2nd to Melissa Jefferson at the 200m Tom Jones Invitational. The 30-year-old Olympic champion of 100m, 200m, and 4X100m events, lost by a bare margin to the 22-year-old, Jefferson. It sent the sports world into a frenzy.

Elaine Thompson-Herah will look to come back harder and stronger

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

A recent tweet by the Twitter handle oluwadare went, “Wow! Melissa Jefferson beats Olympic Champion Elaine Thompson-Herah in the Elite Women’s 200m at the Tom Jones Invitational, running 23.02s (1.8)”. Wow indeed. Jefferson beat Thompson-Herah by a fraction of a second, 21 milliseconds to be precise. While Thompson-Herah completed the 200m race in 23.23 seconds, Jefferson finished in 23.02 seconds.

A win by that close margin is bound to give the young athlete from Coastal Carolina University a much-needed boost in her career. Thompson-Herah, on the other hand, will look to brush off this defeat and bounce back stronger the next time she competes. It was also a big win for Nike, who sponsored Jefferson, over Puma, the sponsor of Thompson-Herah.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest Olympics stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

oluwadare’s Tweet also read, “The Jamaican was 2nd in 23.23s and Felicia Brown-Edwards 3rd in 23.42s”. Maria McCoy, Edidiong Odiong, and Junelle Bromfield took the 4th, 5th, and 6th positions, respectively. All finished the race within the 23rd second. But most fans only had their eye on the top 2 spots.

Despite the loss, Thomson-Herah’s fans are supportive of her

Here’s how some of the fans reacted after they were affected by Elaine Thompson-Herah’s loss at the race:

Seemingly a lifelong ardent fan of Thompson-Herah, she wished her well in the future.

Given that Thompson-Herah’s post-Olympic record has also been staggering, this fan believes it’s only fair to not lose trust in her just for this loss.

Stephen Francis has been her coach for the longest time (2012-2021), which ended after nearly a decade.

The emotion and love from this fan could be felt in the words.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Here’s another fan, confident that things will work out just fine for her.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Melissa Jefferson, whose previous achievements include winning the Indoor 60m NCAA Championship in 2022, 100 meters USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2022, and being part of the winning team in the 4X100m relay, will take this win as a huge motivational factor. For Thompson-Herah, who once looked to topple Florence Griffith-Joyner’s world record, will now look forward to the upcoming World Athletics Championships, which is just months away.

WATCH THIS STORY- Here’s A Quick Look From Chloe Kim To Venus Williams: Here’s a List Of Athletes In Attendance At Met Gala 2022k At Gymnast GOAT Simone Biles Heavy Met Gala 2021 Outfit

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Tanmay Roy

752Articles

One take at a time

Tanmay Roy is a sports writer at EssentiallySports specializing in his coverage of the Olympics and other major American sporting events. His passion for sports was ignited by the early achievements of Michael Phelps, Pete Sampras, and John McEnroe. As a writer for EssentiallySports, Tanmay's articles have been recognized as Editor's Picks, showcasing his ability to craft engaging and thought-provoking stories.
Show More>

Edited by:

Simar Singh Wadhwa