Elaine Thompson's the ‘New girl on the block’

The gifted Elaine Thompson described herself as 'the new girl on the block' just moments after winning the 100m at Morocco's Diamond League meeting yesterday.

There's an awful lot of hype surrounding Thompson at present, and it is easy to see why after yet another impressive display.

The highly rated sprinter took the 200m silver at the World Championships in Beijing in 2015 and very much looks the part in terms of taking over the mantle of Veronica Campbell-Brown and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce - two fast ladies who have put their nation well and truly on the track and field map.

Thompson has an elegance and style about her that is easy on the eye. And she proved as much at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, recording a time of 11.02 seconds, which is a meeting record.

There is still obviously a long way to go before she can genuinely be bracketed in the same league as the aforementioned legends, but the raw material is certainly there.

NOTPLEASED

However, Thompson is clearly a woman hard to please, as just after winning in Morocco she told The Gleaner that she was far from happy with her performance.

"I'm not very pleased, to be honest, I'm a bit disappointed. But I finished the race and I am healthy and injury-free.

"My goal is just to go out to each race and execute the very best I can and record some good times, that's my aim."

Her recent runs have catapulted her to the media and world's attention. It is a position that she understands.

She admitted: "When you are performing and delivering, certainly people will look at you and expect certain things.

"But I want to just go out there and do my best to please myself and others.

"I'm the new girl on the block. Veronica and Shelly-Ann are legends and they are inspirations to me."

- R.H.