Elaine Thompson-Herah’s goal for the 2026 season was to defend her Commonwealth Games title. The 5x Olympics gold medallist appeared headed in the right direction at the JAAA National Championships, which is the selection meet for the Olympics, after clocking 11.18 seconds in the women’s 100m semifinals to qualify for the final. But when the final arrived, Thompson-Herah did not start, ending her hopes for the games. While there was still a chance of earning selection regardless, the fastest woman alive over 100 meters recently revealed she is letting go of those hopes as well.

“I have a minor setback going to National Trials, so I had to swipe Commonwealth out of my brain and say okay, I’m gonna do some meets on the circuit”, Thompson-Herah said about her decision to withdraw from the JAAA after the Boris Hanzeković Memorial, where she stormed to victory in the 100m.

The injury was nothing new. In fact, it had first surfaced just before the 2024 Paris Olympics, when an Achilles tendon injury forced her to miss the Games. The same issue flared up again ahead of the 2026 JAAA National Championships. But this time, Elaine Thompson-Herah decided to “not do a championship this year, even though that was the main goal, to go to [the] Commonwealth.”

This decision is big because it wasn’t just one race that ended her hopes of gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, as she still had a chance.

Under JAAA selection rules, athletes who withdraw because of a genuine injury or illness can still be considered for selection with the approval of the Selection Committee. Thompson-Herah certainly has the pedigree to warrant such an exemption. The former world champion is Jamaica’s fastest active woman over the 100m, courtesy of her 10.54-second run in Eugene in 2021, making her the second-fastest woman in history, behind American Florence Griffith, who had a time of 10.49 set in 1988.

She is also a five-time Olympic gold medallist and one-time silver medallist, having completed the sprint double, winning both the 100m and 200m, at consecutive Olympic Games in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Given her achievements and stature in Jamaican athletics, an exemption remained a real possibility.

But Elaine Thompson-Herah decided to protect her body instead of heading to Glasgow for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which run from July 23 to August 2. “So I just decided to do one round at Nationals in Jamaica, which wasn’t the best, but I’m still pleased with the time today,” she added.

The decision comes as Thompson-Herah gives up the opportunity to defend her Birmingham Commonwealth Games medals from 2022. She won gold in the women’s 100m in 10.95s and the 200m in 22.02s, the latter a Games record. She looked like the favorite, too, with her performances across 2026 showing that she was steadily getting back to her best.

The results that made Elaine Thompson-Herah a Commonwealth Games threat

After missing the entire 2025 season because of her Achilles injury, Elaine Thompson-Herah made her return in February 2026. She opened her year with a 7.24-second run in the 60 meters at the Camperdown Classics in Kingston. Her greatest success came a month later when she broke the 200m time at Velocity Fest with 22.61 seconds. Thompson-Herah then reminded everyone of her sprinting heritage by clocking in 10.92 seconds in the 100m at Velocity Fest, one of the fastest times of her comeback.

She also played a key role in Jamaica’s 4x100m relay victory at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, teaming up with Briana Williams, Jodean Williams, and Lavanya Williams to clock a winning time of 42.00 seconds. It shows that she was well and truly regaining the form that once made her the best in the world.

Just days after withdrawing from the national final, Elaine Thompson-Herah raced at the Boris Hanžeković Memorial and produced her best performance in years, winning the women’s 100 meters in a season-best and meeting-record 10.91 seconds. Fellow Jamaican Brianna Lyston finished second in 10.94, while Poland’s Ewa Swoboda was third in 10.98.

What made the victory even more remarkable was that Thompson-Herah was still dealing with physical discomfort.

“I would say it was hard. As I said, I’m going through a minor setback, I’m having a little hamstring issue, but I’m just grateful that there was no pain,” Thompson-Herah said after the race. “I was running with my hamstring and not my brain. So I’m healthy, I’m happy that I crossed the line without any pain, so I’m grateful.”

Despite the setback, Elaine Thompson-Herah still managed to run her fastest time of the season.

The Commonwealth Games may no longer be part of Elaine Thompson-Herah’s 2026 season, but her comeback is far from over. By choosing to prioritize her recovery, the Jamaican sprinter has shifted her focus to returning to full fitness. And based on her recent performances, there is still plenty to look forward to.