Latest news with #ShellyAnnFraserPryce
Forbes
4 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Eight Time Olympic Medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Announces Retirement, Makes Final World Championship Team
EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 17: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Team Jamaica celebrates after winning gold the ... More Women's 100m Final on day three of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 17, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo byfor World Athletics) Track and field sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce confirmed on June 23rd that this would be her final year running before beginning her retirement at the conclusion of the season. On Friday, the eight-time Olympic medalist competed in the Jamaica National Stadium one last time. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Qualifies For Her Eighth World Championship Team In The 100-Meter Dash EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 17: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Team Jamaica celebrates after winning gold the ... More Women's 100m Final on day three of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 17, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by) Yesterday at the Jamaica National Stadium, Fraser-Pryce ran her final race on Jamaican soil. She ran 10.91 in the 100-meter dash, placing third behind newly crowned Jamaican national champion Tina Clayton and runner-up Shericka Jackson to qualify for her last World Athletics Outdoor Championship. Clayton and Jackson ran 10.81 and 10.88, respectively. 'I'm just grateful to be able to be here tonight finishing healthy and be on the team to Tokyo,' said Fraser-Pryce in a post-race interview. In the remainder of the interview, she expressed that there were several things she needed to work on to prepare for the competition in Tokyo. Race sharpness was the key component she mentioned, as she had only competed four times in 2025 before this weekend's championship. Despite not having many races under her belt, she is excited for the chance to continue her preparations and represent Jamaica this September. Although Fraser-Pryce is known for contesting the 200-meter dash at her country's championships, she's opted not to race in it this year, following her decision not to do so last year as well. During the 2024 season, the 10-time world champion hinted that it might be her final season. When she made it to Paris to compete in her final Olympic games, spectators were shocked to see her missing from the start line after qualifying for the semi-final of the 100-meter dash. Many were heartbroken as they thought they would never see Fraser-Pryce compete again. There is still no official word on her decision to cut her time in Paris short. However, fans were elated to find out that she would compete during the 2025 season. Now, spectators will be able to give her a proper goodbye this fall. The Legacy Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Leaves Behind BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - AUGUST 21: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Team Jamaica reacts after competing in the ... More Women's 100m Semi-Final during day three of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 at National Athletics Centre on August 21, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by) Fraser-Pryce is far from an ordinary legend. She holds three Olympic gold medals, four Olympic silver medals, and one Olympic bronze medal, totaling eight, which is the same number as her legendary countryman, Usain Bolt. She also holds 10 World Athletics Championship titles and is the third-fastest woman of all time in the 100-meter dash, with a time of 10.60. In addition to her ability to dominate global championships, her capacity to push physical limitations is unmatched. In 2022, Fraser-Pryce ran 10.62, 10.67, and 10.66 over three competitions in less than seven days. Now at 38 years old, the Olympic champion has run sub-11 seconds 87 times in her career. This statistic builds a strong case for naming her the greatest female sprinter of all time. The only other female sprinter in history to get close to this number of sub-11 second 100-meter dash's is Merlene Ottey, with 67. Most women sprinters retire between their late 20s and early 30s. However, there are a handful, like Ottey and Allyson Felix, who chose to defy the limits of age and dominate the sport well beyond when most athletes hang up their spikes. Ottey officially retired at 52 years old and made her final Olympic team at 44 years old. Felix retired at 36 years old, completing her last race at the 2022 World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Following a similar path now is Fraser-Pryce, who will be 38 years old at the time of her final World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Tokyo, Japan. Besides her athletic achievements, track and field fans love Fraser-Pryce for a variety of other reasons. One of them is her iconic hair choices. Over her career, the Olympic champion has become known for her distinctive and beautiful hair during major competitions. Fans who have noticed this about her often anticipate on social media the style she will wear. When revealed, many are in awe of the surprise she brings. EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 18: Silver medalist Shericka Jackson of Team Jamaica, gold medalist Shelly-Ann ... More Fraser-Pryce of Team Jamaica and bronze medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah of Team Jamaica pose during the medal ceremony for the Women's 100m Final on day four of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 18, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo byfor World Athletics) Fraser-Pryce is also known for her positive and radiating sportsmanship. She is often seen smiling and hugging competitors after races, displaying a large amount of energy in her post-race interviews, and being an overall encouragement to the athletes who hope to follow in her footsteps. She pours nothing but positive energy into track and field, which is why she is receiving so much of that love back during her last dance. Bolt spoke with Fraser-Pryce after she qualified for Tokyo yesterday. In a separate interview, Bolt reflected positively on her career and expressed his appreciation for the incredible competitive journey they had together. 'Shelly's just one of the greatest, hands down, she has proven over and over,' said Bolt. 'For me, the biggest thing is to have a child come back and just dominate shows the resilience…' Bolt and Fraser-Pryce won their first Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games. Although they ended their professional careers at different times, each athlete embodies what it truly means to conquer the sport of track and field. Jamaican track and field sprinters Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Usain Bolt (R) pose with their awards ... More after being named as the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)'s best male and female World Athletes of the Year for 2013 on November 16, 2013 in Monaco at the IAAF gala. AFP PHOTO / VALERY HACHE (Photo credit should read VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images) Following in Fraser-Pryce's footsteps will be some amazing names. Notably, the Clayton twins, at just 20 years old, have already risen to the occasion. Tia Clayton was the only Jamaican woman to qualify for the 100-meter dash Olympic final in Paris, finishing seventh overall. Yesterday, Tina Clayton became the new Jamaican national champion in the 100-meter dash. Both sisters joined veterans Jackson and Fraser-Pryce as legs on the 4x100-meter relay at the World Athletics Relay Championships in China earlier this year. Together, these four took home a bronze medal. Despite leaving large shoes to fill in the track and field community, many are hopeful that someone will be willing to take on the challenge. Fraser-Pryce is a worldwide treasure that track and field fans will cherish forever, long after she takes her final steps on the track.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Kishane Thompson runs record 100m time, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce makes World Championships
Kishane Thompson ran a 9.75s personal best at the Jamaican National championships in Kingston to move up to sixth on the all-time men's 100m list, as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce qualified for her ninth World Championships. Only Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay, Yohan Blake, Asafa Powell and Justin Gatlin are the only men with a faster wind-legal 100m than Thompson, whose performance is the fastest men's 100m for over a decade — since Gatlin ran 9.74s once and 9.75s twice in the summer of 2015. Advertisement The 23-year old won the silver medal in last summer's 100m Olympic final in Paris, edged out on the line by USA's Noah Lyles — who beat Thompson by five-thousandths of a second (9.784 to 9.789). It makes it two years running than Thompson has won the Jamaican title, the first time a Jamaican man has defended their national 100m title since Blake in 2017. Thompson's time was the fastest at a national championships since Blake also ran 9.75s in 2012. He beat Oblique Seville (9.83s) and Ackeem Blake (9.88s), with the trio all qualifying for the World Championships in Tokyo this September. At the same championships, Tina Clayton won her first national title in 10.81s ahead of Shericka Jackson (10.88s) and Fraser-Pryce (10.91s). All three will also go to Tokyo, which makes it the 13th team for Fraser-Pryce at a World Championships or Olympics. The 38-year-old, a double Olympic and six-time World Championship in the individual sprint disciplines, was the first Caribbean woman to win 100m Olympic gold back in 2008 in Beijing. 'I'm grateful to be able to be here tonight, finishing healthy, and to be on the team to Tokyo,' she said. 'It (her career) has been a journey, and for Jamaica, we have so many athletes that can represent this country. I tried not to be too emotional and focus on my race. 'There's a lot to work on, especially when it comes to race sharpness. I haven't been racing much. It's a long season. The first step, the first hurdle, has been cleared.' (Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images)
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kishane Thompson runs historic 100m time; Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce makes 9th world team
Kishane Thompson ran the world's fastest 100m in a decade, becoming the sixth-fastest man in history, while Tina Clayton won her first senior Jamaican title and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce made her ninth and final World Championship team. Thompson, edged by Noah Lyles for 2024 Olympic 100m gold by five thousandths of a second (9.784 to 9.789), ran 9.75 seconds at the Jamaican Championships in Kingston on Friday night. He had a .8 meter/second tailwind. Advertisement It's the world's fastest time since 2015 when American Justin Gatlin ran 9.74, 9.75 and 9.75 in a two-month span. Thompson improved his personal best by two hundredths to become the sixth-fastest man in history behind Usain Bolt (world record 9.58), Yohan Blake (9.69), Tyson Gay (9.69), Asafa Powell (9.72) and Gatlin (9.74). Thompson, 23, is the third-youngest man to run 9.75 or faster after his fellow Jamaicans Bolt and Blake. "I'm that confident; I don't think if I even broke the world record it would surprise me, honestly," Thompson said, adding that he could have executed his race better. "I'm just going to put that out there." Advertisement Thompson goes into the World Championships in Tokyo in September looking to snap the U.S. streak at four consecutive men's 100m titles since Bolt won his third and final title in 2015. Noah Lyles, the reigning Olympic and world champion, last raced April 19 and has since dealt with a minor ankle injury. Lyles earned a bye into worlds as a reigning world champion, so he does not have to be at full fitness until September. Also Friday. Clayton ran personal bests in Friday's semifinals (10.93) and final (10.81) for her first senior Jamaican title. No Jamaican woman has ever run that fast before turning 21 years old. "I didn't expect this time," said Clayton, the world U20 champion in 2021 and 2022. "Based on how I was going in training, I knew that I would PB, but not that fast." Advertisement The fastest women in the world this year are American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (10.73), the Olympic bronze medalist, and Julien Alfred (10.75) of Saint Lucia, the Olympic gold medalist. Clayton was followed in Friday's final by world 200m champion Shericka Jackson (10.88) and then Fraser-Pryce (10.91) in what she said was her last race in Jamaica before retiring later this year. Fraser-Pryce, a 38-year-old with a record seven combined Olympic and world 100m titles, is due to compete at a ninth world championships. Jamaica will have at least three 100m spots at worlds, plus she's automatically in the 4x100m relay pool. "I'm grateful for that fighting spirit," Fraser-Pryce said, noting that her first worlds were also in Japan — as a preliminary round relay runner in 2007. Advertisement Fraser-Pryce will move one shy of the record 10 worlds appearances for a sprinter shared by American Allyson Felix and Kim Collins of Saint Kitts and Nevis. She can become the oldest woman to win a World Championships medal in any sprint event, including relays, and the oldest female or male sprinter to win an individual world medal. The current oldest female sprint medalist is Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas, who won 4x100m silver in 2009 at age 37. Jamaica's Merlene Ottey was a younger 37 when she won 200m bronze in 1997. Fraser-Pryce's 10 career World Championships gold medals are third in history behind Felix (14) and Usain Bolt (11). Her 16 career World Championships medals of any color are second to Felix (20). Advertisement Fraser-Pryce originally planned to retire after the 2024 Olympic season. But then at the Paris Games, she withdrew before the 100m semifinals. A reason for her withdrawal was not announced. In January 2025, Fraser-Pryce said she would come back for one more season. In a social media post in April, she said she had unfinished business. The U.S. team for the World Championships will largely be determined at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships from July 31-Aug. 3 in Eugene, Oregon. Olympic 100m silver medalist Sha'Carri Richardson earned a bye onto the U.S. team as a reigning world champion from 2023. Faith Kipyegon Faith Kipyegon runs 4:06 mile at Breaking 4, faster than world record Faith Kipyegon got closer to four minutes for a mile than any woman in history.
Independent Singapore
7 days ago
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
'This moment is not just for me, it's for us'— Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce prepares for her last appearance in Jamaica before retirement
Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce recently announced that she would retire from competition after the Jamaica National Championship, being held from June 26 to June 29. In an event hosted by one of her sponsors, Nike, to honour her impressive accomplishments, Fraser-Pryce admitted: 'In the next two days, it will be my final time gracing the National Stadium. Honestly, it's one of those moments that I'm looking forward to… because I have absolutely nothing to lose and all to gain.' The event held at AC Hotel was attended by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, GraceKennedy CEO Frank James, Nike executives, MVP Track Club president Bruce James, Wolmer's Girls' School principal and Pocket Rocket Foundation chair Colleen Montague, members of the parliamentary opposition, her husband Jason Pryce, and their son Zyon. As she prepared for her last appearance at Kingston's National Stadium, where her legacy began, Fraser-Pryce said that her athletic journey was about more than just achieving medals and titles. It has been primarily about making an impact to inspire others and fulfil a greater purpose. 'This moment is not just for me—it's for us… It's how we continue to shift and change the narrative around female or elite sprinting. It's about telling others that no one gets to tell you when or how or where—you get to show up on your own time, in your own moment,' she said. Fraser-Pryce's athletic journey Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce made her name known at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, where she achieved her very first global medal as a member of Jamaica's 4x100m relay team. This milestone marked the start of her legendary career that resulted in three Olympic gold medals (100m wins in 2008 and 2012), as well as a World Indoor 60m title, five 100m World Championship golds, and 10 World Championship medals. Moreover, she is ranked as the third fastest woman in history and has been named Jamaica's Sportswoman of the Year multiple times. The athlete shared: 'I've always said that I'm the daughter of the soil… I'm a proud Jamaican because you have shown me love in the ups, in the downs… and it is you who have helped to nurture me and give me that spirit of pride and unwavering support.' The Jamaica Observer shared how Nike vice president Brett Holts acknowledged Fraser-Pryce's legacy. The news outlet shared on social media: 'Vice president of global sports brand Nike, Brett Holts paid tribute to Jamaica's sprint queen Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on Monday, describing her as 'the most accomplished female sprinter in the history of the sport''. Netizens flooded the comments section with admiration and pride, thanking Shelly for her extraordinary legacy on the track. Many praised her as a national treasure and one of the greatest sprinters of all time. One fan cheered, '👏👏👏👏👏👏Big up Shelly….Congratulations, we love you,' while another added, 'One Shelly!🔥Thanks for your service.🔥🔥🔥' A third simply called her 'The greatest female sprinter ever 🙏🏾.' In another social media post, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce shared: 'As I prepare for my final National Trials, I'm filled with gratitude for the journey, for my partners, and most of all, for my people… Jamaica, your love has carried me, and your pride has fueled me. Every step I've taken has been with you beside me.' Others shared more personal reflections, describing the deep inspiration they've drawn from Shelly's journey. One heartfelt message read, 'Thank you, Shelly. Thank you for being you and showing the world that you can be anything, do anything and reach for the stars… ❤️🚀,' while another wrote, 'We will miss you so much on the track, your energy, your grace and your determination to do great! All the best in your future endeavours ✨.'
Reuters
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Fraser-Pryce to wind down career with final national championships
NEW YORK, June 24 (Reuters) - Jamaican track icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will compete in her final national championships when they kick off this week, the three-times Olympic gold medallist said, winding down one of athletics' most decorated careers. The 10-times world gold medallist previously announced her comeback to the track for 2025, in what was widely expected to be her final year of competition, saying she had "unfinished business". The 38-year-old told reporters, opens new tab at a Nike event on Monday that the Jamaican national championships that start from Thursday would be her last. "It's one of those moments that I am looking forward to. You know why? Because I have absolutely nothing to lose and all to gain," said Fraser-Pryce, who won back-to-back 100 metres Olympic titles in 2008 and 2012. The qualifying event for this year's World Championships that run from September 13-21 in Tokyo comes after a disappointing final Games in Paris, when she missed her 100m semi-final after sustaining an injury in the warm-up.
