Champ in no hurry
DUAL Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson is yet to confirm whether she will attempt the sprint double on the Gold Coast, saying an attempt to replicate her Rio success at the Commonwealth Games remains “undecided”.
The Jamaican became the first athlete since American Florence Griffith Joyner in 1988 to win the Olympic double when she picked up two wins in Rio. But with the Gold Coast Games early in the season, Thompson is still to lock in her Commonwealth Games events.
“I’m not sure. It’s still undecided,” Thompson said of her program following a training session at the Gold Coast Sport Super Centre.
“Honestly I’m not sure what event (I’ll do) but whichever event I get, if I do both, I’m going out there to do (a full effort).
“If I do one, I’m still going to do 150 (per cent), so I’m looking forward, whatever event I do, to giving it my all.”
There’s no doubt the Commonwealth Games are important to Thompson though.
The 25-year-old made her international Games debut in Glasgow in 2014 as a heat runner in the relay before breaking through in 2015 to win a silver medal in the 200m at the world championships and help Jamaica to a world title in the relay.
“I remember in 2014, I made my first Commonwealth Games and I went there to do the 4x1 (relay), so I’m looking forward to my first individual event here,” Thompson said.
“The Commonwealths mean a lot. Obviously we don’t have a lot of countries in the Commonwealth but most of the Caribbean (nations) and Africans (are there), so it means a lot.
“It tells me to prepare myself. I’m looking forward to the other upcoming events like next year’s world champs and the following year, the Olympics.
“It’s like a mini-Olympics in a way, but I’m looking forward to it.”
While Thompson will also compete in the prestigious Diamond League races throughout the season, she said the Commonwealth Games had pride of place as a championship event.