The 2024 World Athletics Championships, the 2025 US Indoor Championships, and an unfortunate similarity! Someone from the top American track and field bunch has been absent from both contests. Last year, the athlete came under the grip of injury just before the start of the penultimate women’s 60m final. Everyone felt an immense shock seeing the athlete suffering excruciating pain in her calf muscle just before the gun went off in the event. Ultimately, she left the event while being escorted off in a wheelchair. The track and field sports fans saw Aleia Hobbs crying profusely while leaving the stadium for the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships. Now what’s happening a year later?

On February 20, the X-handle of World Athletics Hub broke the news. The update claimed that Aleia, the American record holder in the women’s 60m indoor event, scratched out from the US Indoor Championships 2025. She was supposed to enter the women’s 60m indoor event and pose a challenge for athletes like Jacious Sears. But the situation is completely different now. Her withdrawal from the event might minimize the competition level between the athletes. After all, Aleia is the defending champion in the contest. But remember, her missing a key event at the very start of the season might add to her fans’ worry.

A big question mark to someone’s track prospect who is trying to maintain her mark! How? This month, Aleia Hobbs was there in the Millrose Games to grace the women’s 60m indoor event. After having a disappointing end to the 2024 season, the Armory Track and Field Center posed to be her field to make a comeback. 

The former LSU star made no mistake. In the women’s 60m indoor event, she took 7.16 seconds to cross the finishing line. Her performance didn’t give her the top podium. But it earned her the third place. After June 22, 2024, it was her first track race to give her a position on the podium. A significant earning for Hobbs, who was trying to rise like Phoenix! And Hobbs did rise again!

Will she be able to repeat that feat this year as well? If you know her character, then you’ll get your answer.

A Track and field sports career is full of ups and downs 

Imagine two pictures. In 2023, someone took 6.94 seconds to win the qualification round in the women’s 60m indoor event(USA Indoor Championships). The timing posed the second fastest timing in the history of the event. However, the athlete won the event in the final but her fall in the event resulted in breaking a bone in her hand. Subsequently, she had to stop her weight training and concentrate on healing herself. However, nearly five weeks later, the same athlete came on the track with a bang and claimed the second position in the 4x100m relays at the Battle On The Bayou contest.

Remember her post made in 2023, after her victory in the Lloyd Wills Invitational? In the women’s 100m event, she took 10.87 seconds to secure her victory. It was her first event after coming off the hand injury. And she celebrated her comeback by punching the meet record. Meanwhile, her social media post read, “From breaking the American record to breaking a bone my hand. From not being able to do all my weights or block starts in over a month. So thankful for my fastest 100m opener and meet record.”

Next year, the same track and field athlete defended her title in the women’s 60m indoor event in the US Indoor Championships. But this year, things will be different. The athlete, Aleia Hobbs, will not be on the field. Her injury has kept her away from the track. So will there be a similar comeback? Well, her track records have evidence to support that. So will there be another post like this after her return? Let’s wait for a few more days.