When Junelle Bromfield wrapped up her Olympic run this summer, it wasn’t on a good note. The track star, also popular for her association with American sprinting icon Noah Lyles, got into a row over some controversies. This led to several hate messages during the two-week-long event, and the Jamaican wasn’t happy.
In an emotional and heartfelt chat with Simone Clarke-Cooper on her show ‘Sim Soul Sessions,’ Bromfield recalled all the hate post-Olympics and how it affected her. Simone noted how she recalled the sprinter’s confession about being afraid to return home and wanted to check in on the subject.
For context, Bromfield and her boyfriend Lyles had landed in trouble after the American sprinter confessed how he’d get a lot of information about the Jamaican training camp with her being a part of it. She began getting hateful comments and messages from her hometown for leaking inside information.
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Apart from the hostile treatment from her own countrymen, Bromfield also noted how she would be attacked for her skin color and the way she presented herself. Altogether, she endured a tough time throughout her stay in Paris, and it ended up uglier than she thought.
“I mean, during Olympics, and even before like, I had to turn off my inbox because I was getting death threats from people. I had Jamaicans inboxing me that they wish my foot gets broken…”
She recalled how she would even have Jamaicans wishing for an injury. All of this, combined with the death threats, made Bromfield worried about her well-being upon landing in her hometown. Hence, when Simone offered to fly her out of the US to her studio for the interview, Bromfield was hesitant and didn’t want to do it.
Yet, she received a lot of support from Lyles and loyal fans who hyped her up with love and praise. Along with being a supportive partner, he also encouraged her to take up therapy as a way to cope with all the hate and pressure she had faced along the way. This worked well for Bromfield, who has now been slowly rising from her fears.
While she’s still skeptical of returning, the Jamaican confessed that her sport has played an integral role in widening her horizons. Coming from a humble background, Bromfield couldn’t even dream of a career outside her country, let alone becoming an Olympic sprinter. But she had the vision, found her calling, and embraced track and field despite the hate and vitriol.
