Do sprinters ever get Achilles' injuries?

Seems less common than in distance runners, due to the nature of the injury itself, but sprinters do get it. The best example I can think of is that I believe Donovan Bailey had Achilles tendon issues a few years back.

Someone I train with has chronic achilles and calf problems.

His main event is the 100m.

I don't think these injuries are exclusive to one group of athletes.

However, like you say, it could be a nice change to train for 100-400 for you.

Good luck.

My doctor in Bangkok, a former UK team sprinter, almost became a Paralympian due to an botched achilles surgery in the USA.

Jason

Donovan got his injury playing basketball though, not from running

Andre Cason ruptured his achilles in the '92 Oly Trials and went down to the ground.

His season was over but he managed to come back and get Silver at the '93 Worlds.

Jonathon Fortenberry ruptured his bout 3 or 4 years ago...tried to come back and I havent seen anything about it.

And I remember a girl in the hurdles at D2 nats in like 2000 that ruptured hers and you could here a loud pop in the stands

Thanks for the replies so far. It sounds like when sprinters hurt their Achillles, it is of a catastrophic nature (i.e. rupture) rather than tendonitis-types of problems. Considering some of the physiques and forces involved with top-level sprinters, this is not entirely surprising. I would like to think that my muscles are too weak to generate that type of force/leverage :)

Anyway, I am still intrigued by trying a different path, after years of putting in the miles. The main thing is to have an outlet, stay healthy and keep it fun.

I've never actually injured an achilles, but I have had it sore at times. The mechanism seems analogous to how it happes in distance running--a significant increase in intensity. Block starts put extra stress on the lead leg in the blocks. Maximum intensity sprints in the range of 60-100m or so place heavy loads on the achilles because of the amount of time spent at maximum velocity. If you do significant volume of this type of work and you throw in some plyos, you are asking for something to break.

You can reduce the risk by not using blocks in training if you don't plan to race from blocks in 100/200...or keep the number of runs of 80-100m to not more than 4. Use 10m rolling starts where you can. When you run longer than 150m, the risk is less becahse you can't run as fast and you don't do as many, and the risk is also less in shorter accelerations of 60m and less because you can't run very long at high speed because you to reach top speed very soon.

Keep in mind though that a very common 400 workout like 3X400 all-out in spikes--unfortunately far too often done by high school coaches who don't know much--is a highly effective way of developing shin splints/stress fractures.