The fastest woman alive chases the elusive ghost of Flo-Jo

Elaine Thompson-Herah had a phenomenal 2021, dominating the Olympics and running the second-fastest 100m of all time. In 2022, she is in pursuit of a first individual world title and a 34-year-old record

Elaine Thompson-Herah is the fastest woman alive. But she would far prefer being the fastest woman ever. She isn’t far off. At the Wanda Diamond League last August in Eugene, the Olympic champion clocked the second-fastest 100m ever run, her time of 10.54s just five-hundredths short of the record set by American Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988.

Set to start her season this weekend in Birmingham, Thompson-Herah said, “The world record is definitely on my mind. For me to run a 10.54, that makes me think it’s definitely in reach. It shows you that anything is possible. It is possible to break a Flo-Jo record and I would love to do that. I don’t think I’m perfect yet but I’m working on it. There’s more work to go to get that time.”

Flo-Jo’s mark of 10.49, set in Indianapolis, has been listed by World Athletics since 1997 as “probably strongly wind-assisted” — so, Thompson-Herah’s 10.54 in permitted winds may perhaps be comparable. She hit a top speed of 39.56kmph, between the 60m and 70m mark, but incredibly felt after that run that she hadn’t been at her best.

“The 10.54 felt kind of slow!” she said. “When I crossed the line, I didn’t see the time straight away, but it felt sluggish and kind of awkward. But sometimes a race may not feel perfect, yet you end up running fast. When I finally saw the time, I was overwhelmed, elated, excited, everything.”

It bodes well for her that the World Championships this year are set to be staged in Eugene as well, in July. “I am definitely looking forward to the World Championships in Eugene because I don’t yet have an individual world title,” said the Jamaican, who has five Olympic gold medals to her name, including two 100m-200m doubles and a 4x100m relay win. “The aim is to try to do the double, or even three golds. I felt the track and know what it feels like, so I am looking forward to a good championships. And it’s closer to home, of course.”

Before she continues her chase of Flo-Jo, Thompson-Herah has another world record in her sights. She will run the 60m in Birmingham — the world record over that distance stands at 6.92s, set by Irina Privalova in 1993, and both Thompson-Herah and silver medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran faster than the world record mark on their way to winning their 100m medals in Tokyo.

“I’m so excited to race in Birmingham to start my 2022 campaign,” Thompson-Herah told BBC. “I have enjoyed competing in the UK over the years and there is always a special atmosphere at this venue. I ran my PB [personal best] at this arena in 2017 [6.98s], so competing here means a lot to me. This year is a huge one. I have big goals for the World Athletics Championships later this summer, but first I’d like to give fans something to cheer about in Birmingham.”