The 2023 edition of the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational Meet got under way on Friday, April 14, 2023. The Women’s 200m Olympic Development Meet that featured the reigning double-double Olympic Champion Elaine Thompson-Herah was one of the featured events. Besides Thompson-Herah, the race also included three Americans, Melissa Jefferson, Felicia Brown Edwards and Maia McCoy, as well as, Bahraini Edidlong Odlong and Jamaican Junelle Bromfield. However, the results were not consistent with popular expectation as Thompson-Herah was chased and outrun by reigning US 200 champion Melissa Jefferson.
Notwithstanding the unexpected outcome, I was not alarmed! Historically, Thompson-Herah’s trajectory leading up to the Jamaican National Trials and global Championships has never been the same as most elite athletes. There is usually a more methodic and gradual buildup to her season. Therefore, I will not be too harsh in my criticism of her opening 200m performance. Neither will I lose sleep nor confidence in her. I know of her tremendous capabilities to deliver on big occasions, once she is healthy. Nevertheless, Thompson-Herah's time was very pedestrian and she ought not to have come second in a field that was so ordinary
Overall, the race was very slow. Melissa Jefferson won in 23.02, ahead of Thompson-Herah, who stopped the clock in 23.23. The wind speed was +1.8m/s, ideal for top-class sprinting. Indeed, in another race, collegiate athlete, Julien Alfred, posted a world lead of 21.91 in the exact same wind condition (+1.8). What was unsettling for me was to see Thompson-Herah being chased like a rabbit and passed by Jefferson in the home stretch, some thirty meters before the finish-line. Thompson-Herah could simply do nothing about it; she seemed to have had nothing left in the tank to respond to the fast-finishing Jefferson.
Concerns about Thompson-Herah Preparation
Am I concerned about Thompson-Herah's preparation at this time of the season? Absolutely! In my opinion, Thompson-Herah should be able to walk 22.20 on any given day in a Championship year. I will admit that I don't know what are the details of the specific objectives that are being pursued at this time. But, the optics didn't look good. I was neither impressed by Thompson-Herah's slow time nor by her second place finish.
Everyone knows that I hold Thompson-Herah in very high esteem and that she is unquestionably my number one athlete, male or female. It is an open-secret that I actually love this athlete, second to none! However, I would be less than honest if I were to pretend that, I wasn't concerned about her conditioning and form at this precise moment, notwithstanding the aforementioned. Maybe there is something that I do not yet understand. I do hope that not before long, it will be revealed to us all, and settle our nerves.
Thompson-Herah will peak at the right time
As the season progresses, I do hope that Thompson-Herah will allay our fears as she has done on other occasions. This year is another World Championship year and there can be no excuse for failure. Thompson-Herah must live up to not only to the expectations of her sponsors, country, fans and loved ones, but most importantly, she must live up to the gargantuan talent that she has been so richly endowed with.
Henley E. Taylor (Sensenya Ben Nyah)
Freelance Sportswriter
Edited by Raymond Byfield
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