The search for a coach for five-time Olympic Games gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah is said to be ongoing, days after news broke that she had not extended the services of Coach Shanikie Osbourne who guided her over the latter part of the last track and field season.

A release from AndiSports Management, the company that represents Thompson-Herah, the national record holder and fastest woman alive with a personal best 10.54 seconds, said in part: “Once our search is complete and a final decision is made we will once again use this medium to officially notify the fans, followers, supporters and the general public.”

Osbourne, who was part of the MVP TC setup when Thompson-Herah trained with the St Andrew-based outfit, had taken over her training and guided her through the latter part of the season, but on a temporary basis, the athlete had told members of the media in Budapest, Hungary, in August.

The release confirmed the “professional separation”, citing “breakdown in negotiations on a compensation package for the services that would be provided by Coach Osbourne”.

The release described the request from Osbourne as “by any measure of what is the norm for such services; was extremely excessive and without any flexibility to negotiate by the other party,” adding that, “collectively, we had no choice but to seek the services of another coach”.

Thompson-Herah, who won the last two gold medals in the women’s 100m at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo, Japan, in 2021, has been affected by a persistent Achilles injury but won the sprint double at the Commonwealth Games last year after she took the bronze in the 100m at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, behind teammates Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson.

Her issues with the injuries continued into the past season, limiting her preparation and saw her finish fifth in the women’s 100m at the JAAA National Championships in a then season’s best 11.06 seconds.

Under the guidance of Osbourne, Thompson-Herah progressively improved her time to a season’s best 10.79 seconds in the 100m, ending the season ranked fifth best in the world.

Osbourne’s services were recognised by Thompson-Herah’s agents who said in the release that “Mrs Elaine Thompson-Herah benefited from the services of Coach Osbourne, especially towards the end of the 2023 athletic season and for that Mrs Thompson-Herah is grateful and would like to express her thanks for her impact in a very short space of time”.

Thompson-Herah, who was coached by her husband Derrron, himself a former athlete and who is part of the coaching staff at St Jago High and the Bertland Cameron setup, the release said was fully focused on her preparation for the fast-approaching 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

The release continued: “Her preparations for the season and the defense of her Olympic titles. In this regard, we have undertaken a process to procure the services of a coach who would be able to ensure the high standards of Mrs Thompson-Herah are exceeded and her goals for the 2024 outdoor athletic season are met.

“Once our search is complete and a final decision is made we will once again use this medium to officially notify the fans, followers, supporters and the general public. Rest assured that the best interest of Mrs Elaine Thompson-Herah supersedes all other concerns and all decisions will be made to fortify her legacy as one of the World’s premier female athletes.”