Two-time Olympic sprint double champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, with less than eight months until she defends her titles, has parted ways with her coach, citing the cost of services as being too expensive.
“The package proposed by the former coach (Osbourne); by any measure of what is the norm for such services; was extremely excessive and without any flexibility to negotiate by the other party,” stated the release from Thompson-Herah’s management group, Andi Sports Management. ALSO READ: Shericka Jackson Named Finalist for Women’s World Athlete of the Year
Elaine Thompson-Herah clinched the sprint double at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games under the coaching of Stephen Francis but opted to be coached by her husband Derron, at the onset of the 2022 season.
She faced challenges in 2023, which she later revealed were due to injuries, before engaging Osbourne following her unsuccessful attempt to join the Jamaican team for the individual events at Budapest 2023. Under Osbourne’s mentorship, she achieved her fastest times of the year, breaking 11 seconds with times of 10.92, 10.84, and 10.79.
Elaine Thompson-Herah grateful for Osbourne’s help
She has acknowledged the benefits of Osbourne’s coaching, for which she said she is “grateful and would like to express her thanks for his impact in a very short space of time.”
Currently coached by her husband, Thompson-Herah is on the lookout for a new coach. “Once our search is complete and a final decision is made we will once again use this medium to officially notify the fans, followers, and the general public,” the release noted.
Furthermore, the release indicated, “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.”
