Five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah says the prospect of winning her first individual world gold is a key motivation for her season.
The 29-year-old missed the podium over 100m at London 2017 and Doha 2019 after winning 200m silver at Beijing 2015.
“I don’t want to only be an Olympic baby,” said the Jamaican.
“I want a taste of that gold from the World Championships. It will be very important to me to add that gold to my tally.”
Thompson-Herah continues her preparations for the Jamaican trials later this month and July’s World Championships at Sunday’s Diamond League meeting in the Moroccan city of Rabat.
Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou, who finished fourth in the Tokyo Olympics 100m final, is the most prominent threat in the field over the distance.
The prospect of Thompson-Herah beating not only her present-day rivals, but also breaking the 10.49 second world record set by American great Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1998 is one of the running themes of the season.
Thompson-Herah clocked 10.54secs, as close as anyone has come to Griffith-Joyner’s mark, in Eugene in August.
She ran 10.79secs at the same venue last weekend, but says she is willing to be patient if the world record eludes her when the World Championships are staged there this summer.
“I would love to break the world record, but I am in no rush,” she said. “If I don’t get it this year, I have next year and the year after.
“I know I can do it, I have that in me – just have to get my body, mind and everything ready on that day. I don’t think I am in that shape right now, but I am working on that.” (BBC)