Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games: Elaine Thompson-Herah sets defending titles target

Five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah aims to have “fun” after confirming she will defend her Commonwealth 100m and 200m titles at Glasgow 2026.

The Jamaican sprint star became the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic sprint doubles when she earned 100m and 200m gold medals at Rio 2016 and five years later in Tokyo.

Thompson-Herah followed that with double sprint success at the last Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 and will be in Glasgow this summer targeting gold in both events.

The 33-year-old is in her first season back after an Achilles tendon tear that forced her to miss the Paris Olympics and required a lenghty recovery plan.

Thompson-Herah has been back in competition already this year, and is currently in Botswana with the Jamaican team for the World Athletics Relays.

“I’m just using this season as a stepping stone,” she said.

“A recovery, a fun one. I’ll just go out there, have fun, run some races, get some medals, of course, defend my titles at Commonwealth Games, of course because I’m the defending champion,” she said.

“I am just looking forward to everything.”