Elaine Thompson-Herah: "We women don’t get the respect we deserve"

In her first post-Tokyo 2020 race, Jamaican athletics star Elaine Thompson-Herah sprinted to 10.54 seconds, the second-fastest time ever run by a woman and just five-hundredths of a second shy of the world record.

Weeks before coming close to breaking Florence Griffith-Joyner's world record of 10.49 at the 2021 Diamond League meeting in Eugene, she had achieved a historic ‘double double’ at the Olympics.

Despite her outstanding achievements alongside compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the only person to win four world titles in the 100m at the world championships, they often find themselves on the outside in discussions around the greatest sprinters.

**“**It seems as if we haven't done our best and yet we are doing our best. But for us, we have to just continue to stay focused, stay positive and keep working because you can't let the outside noise outside distract you from what you're working towards,” she said at a press conference organised by her new sponsors Puma in Eugene on Friday 15 July.

Fast Elaine: Our plan and our goal is to continue to be the greatest

Between the two athletes, they have won 14 Olympic medals and 10 world titles, and are tipped to add to that number at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon this week.

In an interview with Athletics Weekly, double Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson noted that the athletics world is often too focused on the clock and tends to overlook the women’s 100m rivalry pitting the two Jamaican stars.

“I don’t think that Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce or Elaine Thompson-Herah get enough credit for what they’ve done in the sport because we’re so focused on times,” said Johnson the former 200m and 400m world record-holder.

“What’s going to happen most likely with Elaine is, there’s going to continue for the remainder of her career unless she breaks the world record in the 100m, a focus now on whether she breaks the world record or not and if she doesn’t, you know there’s a danger that people will be disappointed."

Thompson-Herah, the first woman in history to win the 'sprint double' at consecutive Olympics, strongly agrees.

“Yeah even though we have run that fast, I try to aim for that all the time, it doesn't seem like it affects anybody. Our plan and our goal is to continue to be the greatest and to leave a legacy behind, to be in the history books or whatever respect we draw in or whatever recognition we don't get, we still kind of cannot let that affect us.”

READ MORE: Who is the fastest woman in the world? The hunt for women's 100m gold begins

Of course, what the two women have achieved in the sport is remarkable.

They have won the women’s Olympic titles since Beijing 2008. And are targeting the world record that has stood unbeaten for 34 years.

"I am happy to be a part of this history. You know, I have never seen a woman constantly run into 10.6 six. We never thought that (the world record) could have been broken, even though it's not broken yet. Anything is possible.

“And for me it's all about believing and keep putting in the work. I think it can be broken once you have that good weather, that competition.

" I want it (the world record) to come by itself this year as I'm not really working on that. I want it to come by itself this year…I'm just focusing on the world champs this year.”

The 29-year-old is expected to go head-to-head with Fraser-Pryce in the women’s 100m finals at Oregon 2022 on Sunday (17 July).

Fraser-Pryce is defending the title she won in Doha which made her the oldest winner of the women’s 100m and the first mother in 24 years to win gold in the event.

READ MORE: Elaine Thompson-Herah: I really want to break the world record

Thompson-Herah, whose social media account handles are 'FastElaine' is excited about what that rivalry could translate into for her career, possibly even at these 2022 World Championships in Hayward Field.

“I PB’ed (ran my personal best) here last year… even though I felt slow on that day. I think the (track) is fast and if you put in the work you will get the result. …So that’s a big motivation, I am confident to say anything is possible. Coming into the night if we get that feeling, that transition that we want because I know all the ladies are going out there to do their best. And if I can put my transition together get that perfect race, even though I don’t have the perfect race yet... but if I could all my phases together I could challenge that of course!"

Keep up with all the action from Eugene in our Live Blog updates throughout Track & Field Worlds 2022, here.