Adelle Tracey is taking a measured approach to her 2025 campaign as she works her way back to peak form following a serious injury that disrupted her 2024 Olympic season. The Jamaica middle-distance star, who switched allegiance from Great Britain in 2022, is determined to return to her best ahead of this year’s World Athletics Championships.
In a voice note to Sportsmax.TV, Tracey reflected on her progress so far this season, having competed in three 1500m races - 4:06.23 for fourth place at the Penn Relays on April 26, 4:11.76 for 11th place at the Doha Diamond League on May 16, and most recently 4:09.53 for fourth at the Boris Hanžeković Memorial in Zagreb on May 24.
“At this point of the season, it’s about trying out new things, getting the body moving again and busting some rust,” Tracey said. “I had quite a serious injury after Paris last year that took some time to rehab, so I’m very grateful to be back competing at full health and just being in that environment again.”
Tracey's Olympic campaign was derailed by a plantar fascia tear she suffered just before the start of the 2024 season. In an interview with Sportsmax.TV in September last year, she revealed, “The tear first happened, actually in May. I was supposed to compete at the Diamond League in Eugene, and that was going to be one of my first races of the season. And literally the week before, I tore it in training. I couldn’t walk for a good week after that happened.”
The injury forced her to make significant adjustments to her preparations and ultimately prevented her from advancing to the finals of the 800m and 1500m at the Paris Games. It was a major blow for the 31-year-old, who had made history in 2023 by setting a new Jamaican national record in the 1500m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
Progress, she revealed, has not been easy.
"We've had to take things slow and it's not been linear as Plantar tears are tricky but happy that I'm in a really healthy place now and our main focus was taking a long approach to be ready for the Jamaican trials and World Championships in September which my coach and I are feeling positive about," she said.
Despite the setbacks, Tracey remains upbeat and focused on the road ahead.
“At the moment, the results on paper aren’t where I’d like them to be, but I feel like we’re making good progress and I’ve been banking some good training,” she said. “I’m looking forward to competing at trials and hopefully speeding things up over the coming weeks and doing some 800s in June and July.”
Her eyes remain firmly set on the global stage. “The goal, as always, is to be ready for the World Championships,” she affirmed. “I feel on target to do that, so I’m feeling optimistic.”
Tracey is expected to line up this weekend at a meet in Bydgoszcz, Poland, as she continues to sharpen her race fitness. If her steady comeback continues, she could once again be a force in the middle distances when the world gathers later this year.