Olympic and world sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah parted ways with her coach Shanikie Osbourne less than a year before the Paris 2024 Olympics. The management of the athlete, Andi Sports Management, made the confirmation in a statement that also revealed that the search for a new coach is currently underway.
Shanikie Osbourne has refused to talk about the breakup with Elaine Thompson-Herah. The athlete herself also does not wish to comment on the topic and does not allow any media in her training base.
“Five-time Olympic Games Gold Medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah and her temporary coach has parted ways. he professional separation came about due to a breakdown in negotiations on a compensation package for the services that would be provided by Coach Osbourne”, says the statement of the Andi Sports Management. “Mrs. Elaine Thompson-Herah benefitted from the services of Coach Osbourne, especially towards the end of the 2023 athletic season and for that Mrs. Thompson-Herah is grateful and would like to express her thanks for her impact in a very short space of time. With the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, fast approaching, Mrs. Thompson-Herah is fully focused on her preparations for the season and the defense of her Olympic titles. In this regard, we have undertaken a process to procure the services of a coach who would be able to ensure the high standards of Mrs. Thompson-Herah are exceeded and her goals for the 2024 outdoor athletic season are met”, adds the statement.
In 2023, Elaine Thompson-Herah struggled with an Achilles tendon injury and finished fifth in the 100m at the Jamaican national championships in July in 11.06 sec. She thus failed to win a place in Jamaica’s individual team for the Budapest World Athletics Championships in August, and also did not participate in the final of the 4x100m relay.
After the Budapest World Athletics Championships, Elaine Thompson-Herah finished third at the Zurich Diamond League with 11.00 sec. She achieved her first sub-11s run of the season a little later in Italy, where she won a race in 10.92 sec.
This was followed by an appearance at the Diamond League in Brussels on September 8, when she ran 10.84 sec, and at the finals in Eugene on September 16, she lowered her mark to 10.79 sec.
