Thompson-Herah Finishes Last in 100m Season Opener at the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic; Sha’Carri Richardson Claims First Place – Watch Race

Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah finished last during her 100m season opener at the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic on Saturday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Today’s Diamond League meet saw Thompson-Herah face off against reigning American world champion Sha’Carri Richardson, whom she last met on the track at last season’s Diamond League final. Thompson-Herah started the race in lane #4 as the meet record holder with a time of 10.54 seconds, which she set in 2021.

However, Richardson gained an early lead in the race maintaining her speed as she pulled ahead of Thompson-Herah of Saint Lucia’s World Indoor 60-metre champion Julien Alfred. Thompson-Herah finished last in 11.30 seconds, while Richardson claimed first place in 10.83 seconds, a new season’s best.

Alfred finished second in 10.93 and Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith in 10.98 seconds.

Last year, the two-time reigning Thompson-Hera struggled with a lingering Achilles injury that significantly impacted her training and performance on the track during the athletic season. However, Thompson-Herah finished her season with a podium finish in third place at the Diamond League final.

The athlete had closed the season with a season’s best of 10.79 seconds in the 100m. Despite her challenges on the track, her triumphs are still being rewarded off the track, with the 31-year-old the only Caribbean athlete newly named as a brand ambassador for Christian Dior.

Her new deal with the luxury brand is her first partnership with a global fashion house. Thompson-Herah will be vying for her third double-double at the Paris Olympic Games this summer.