British honour pleases Thompson

Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson is honoured to have been named 2016 International Athlete of the Year by the British journal ATHLETICS WEEKLY.

Speaking in Kingston on January 5, Thompson says the award has spurred her to work hard in the season to come. She also reported that training for the 2017 campaign is going well.

"To be nominated for the Athletics Weekly award and also to win that award amongst those super talented ladies in their disciplines it has humbled me and made me a stronger person," she said.

Long-standing record

According to the Athletics Weekly website, its readers gave Thompson 27.4 per cent of their votes. By comparison, American Kendra Harrison, who broke a long standing 100 metre hurdles world record in 2016 with her run of 12.20 seconds, and South African's Olympic 800 metre winner Caster Semenya received 24.3 per cent and 12.7 per cent of the total choices logged respectively. Thompson's victory follows a brilliant season.

In addition to her Olympic double, she was undefeated at 100 metres, and set world leading times at both distances, with clockings of 10.70 and 21.78 seconds respectively.

Dedication

"It's all God's work," Thompson said of her endeavours last year.

"The dedication has paid off," she said.

"I'm really honoured and I appreciate it a lot."

The Stephen Francis-coached athlete instead runs to do her best as much as the competition and the conditions allow.

"My main focus right now is to, as I said, get in the training, take the races step by step and just go to the drawing board and see what corrections, or what to be put in place or what is to be done, but for me; the times come after."

Her preparations for the 2017 season are going well.

"As always, it's hard but I'm holding up, still putting in the work and looking forward to be on the track about next month or so," she said.