Olympic champion Thompson-Herah splits with coach over pay

LONDON (Agencies): Five-times Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah has parted ways with her coach, Shanikie Osbourne, her management company said in a statement, less than a year before she defends her 100 metres and 200 metres crowns in Paris. Thompson-Herah’s agency, Andi Sports Management, said the split was a result of a “breakdown in negotiations on a compensation package” sought by Osbourne. “The package proposed by the former coach; by any measure of what is the norm for such services; was extremely excessive and without any flexibility to negotiate by the other party,” the agency said. “Collectively, we had no choice but to seek the services of another coach. Osbourne could not be reached immediately for comment. The agency said the process of finding the Jamaican sprinter a new coach had begun. “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,” it said. Thompson-Herah, 31, became the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic sprint doubles when she retained her 100m and 200m titles in Tokyo in 2021. She capped a memorable Games with gold in the 4x100m relay. In 2021, she became the second-fastest woman of all time in the 100m, behind world record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner.