Elaine Thompson-Herah’s Winning Track Form Can Be Restored in the US, Says Stephen Francis – Watch Interview

As her performance on the track continues to suffer from her injuries, Elaine Thompson-Herah’s former coach, Stephen Francis, has shared his thoughts on the athlete’s sprint future. According to Francis, Thompson-Herah must seek help in the United States to return to her previous winning form.

Following a delayed start to her 2024 season, Thompson-Herah’s athletic year was brought to an abrupt end in June after she suffered an Achilles tendon injury at the New York Grand Prix. The sprinter later announced that she would not be participating in the upcoming Paris Olympics.

As doubt surrounds the sprinter’s athletic future, Francis expressed in an interview with Nationwide News that he does not believe that fans have seen the last of the track and field star. However, Francis does not believe that Elaine is a good fit with the coaches in Jamaica and that her health and performance would benefit from seeking coaching in the United States.

“I don’t think Elaine has reached the end. I think that Elaine’s body cannot hold up to most of the methods of 99.9% of the coaches in Jamaica because they rely on a lot of natural vs. mechanical. Elaine’s body cannot deal with those kinds of things.”

He continues, “If she were to ask me what she should do, I would tell her to go somewhere in the States and train because I don’t think that she is going to be able to survive using the methods which they use out here to try and get her to top speed,” Francis stated.

While speaking on Thompson-Herah not being able to find the coaching that she needs in Jamaica, Francis shared that his track club would not be able to facilitate her. The renowned sprint coach further explained that her return would most likely not be possible due to the amount of talent currently at the club.

“She can’t fit in at MVP because MVP right now has too much talent, which is the priority [ … ] I have a lot of sympathy for Elaine. It’s hard to coach somebody for over ten years and not develop some kind of bond, and I don’t like to see what is happening to her now.”

Sharing that there are girls as young as 18 who are potential track stars, Francis also expressed that he is unsure if they would be able to take on someone of that “stature.” The coach, who had previously expressed a firm stance that Thompson-Herah could not return, said it is difficult to see her return, but he will not say no.

Watch Francis’ interview below.

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