‘Devil Tried’ - Elaine Thomason-Herah Responds to Near Two-Year Injury Hell After Golden Return at World Relays

Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah has expressed her delight at her return to track after a near two-year absence.

Thompson-Herah made her highly-awaited return at the just-concluded 2026 World Relays in Gaborone, Botswana on Sunday when she anchored Jamaica’s 4x100m relay women’s team to gold.

The 33-year-old, who had not run competitively since July 2024 due to a niggling Achilles injury, brought home Team Jamaica in a time of 42.00 seconds, ahead of Canada (42.17) and Spain (42.31).

It was a triumphant return to track for the five-time Olympics champion after a 20-month absence and she is happy that she is now on the mend.

“Thanks Gaborone, Batswana for having us, we had a time. The devil tried to schedule your downfall, God declined the appointment! You’re coming out on top,” Thompson-Herah posted on social media.

The fastest woman alive had on Sunday given a worrying update about her recovery when she revealed that she still felt her hamstring even as she went on to deliver gold for her country.

“I must say we’re grateful that we got it done and stayed healthy,” she told the media in Gaborone. “Coming into the straight, my leg felt heavy. I could feel the hamstring, so I told myself I had to bring the team home.”

It was a good return but going by her experience in Botswana, Thompson-Herah will be looking to manage her body carefully as she looks to return fully to competitive running.