Motherhood Can't Diminish Brilliance Of Frase-Pryce, Felix

By Brooklynn Loiselle, Special to DyeStat

DOHA, Qatar -- The day after the women’s 100-meter final at the 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in London, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica gave birth to her son, Zyon. Ten months ago, almost to the day, American Allyson Felix gave birth to her daughter, Camryn. 

Neither athlete considered having a baby the end of her career. And on Sunday evening at the 2019 IAAF World Track and Field Championships, both Fraser-Pryce and Felix returned as world champions.

The U.S. team of Felix, Wil London III, Courtney Okolo and Michael Cherry won a gold medal in the 4x400-meter mixed relay, finishing in 3 minutes, 9.34 seconds and breaking a one-day old world record set by the U.S. team, with four different runners, the day before.

“For me, it’s a steppingstone,” Felix said. “It’s far from over, but I think making it through this year with so much going on, it’s going to make next year feel a lot easier.”

The victory gave Felix her 12th world title, surpassing Jamaica’s Usain Bolt as the track and field athlete with the most world championships.

One hour later, Fraser-Pryce won her sixth combined Olympic or world 100-meter title in a world-leading time of 10.71, beating Dina Asher-Smith, who ran a new British record of 10.83. 

“A lot of persons love to say what can be done and having a baby slows you down, but it didn’t slow me down,” Fraser-Pryce said. “It actually made me faster.”

Fraser-Pryce’s winning time of was just .01 off her personal best, which she ran in 2012. Fraser-Pryce, who won her first Olympic gold in 2008 and captured her first World title in 2009, now has the most 100-meter gold medals in history at the World Championships with four, more than Usain Bolt, Carl Lewis and Maurice Greene with three apiece.

Following the race, Fraser-Pryce, with her rainbow hair still blowing behind her, let out a scream. She went to the crowd, collected her son, wrapped him in the Jamaican flag and took him on her victory lap, waving his hand to the crowd.

“He wasn’t into it,” she said. “Zyon has his father’s personality where he’s very reserved and doesn’t like excitement whereas his mother … loves excitement. But it’s very special to have that victory lap with Zyon.”

Felix said that watching Fraser-Pryce win the gold gave her goosebumps.

Fraser-Pryce called her win a “victory for motherhood.”

On the field, Americans Will Claye and Christian Taylor continued their almost decade-long battle at the triple jump.

Taylor, the reigning world and Olympic champion, claimed his record fourth title on his fifth and final jump, a season-best 58 feet, 9.50 inches. Claye, who led for most of the event, finished second in 58-2.50. 

“I think this just adds to the chip on my shoulder,” said Claye, who has gotten silver behind Taylor at the last three World Championships.

“I got to continue to keep working hard and get ready for Tokyo now, ’cause I’m tired of getting second. I got to do something different. I got to get better to where that doesn’t happen again.”

Taylor almost did not advance out of the first round of the final because he fouled on his first two attempts. But seeing two scratches did not scare Taylor.

“Unfortunately, I have been in this situation before,” he said. “But when I am going for this record, you have to put it all out there.”

He jumped 57-2 on his third attempt, allowing him to qualify for the additional two jumps. He chomped his hands in an homage to his college, the University of Florida, as he saw the mark. 

Taylor believes that the 24-year-old world record, 60-0.25 can be broken, but it’s “not close enough.” He hopes that next year he can make that happen.

In the pole vault, Authorized Neutral Athlete Anzhelika Sidorova won the gold at 16 feet and three-quarters of an inch, edging out American Sandi Morris by two inches.

Morris, the American record holder, and Sidorova, a two-time indoor silver medalist, stood apart from the rest of the field of 17, with neither missing a jump until the final height. While Morris celebrated by throwing her arms in the air and jumping on the pit after every clearance from 15-9 upward, Sidorova stayed calm, barely raising her fist after each clearance.

Sidorova, who was one of the 30 Russian athletes allowed to compete as a neutral athlete, set a new outdoor personal best. Morris, who earned the silver at both the 2017 worlds and the 2016 Olympics, set a season’s best.

“I can’t help but think all this silver medals are leading up to something — some pinnacle of my career,” Morris said. “We’ve got kind of an important meet next year. Wink. Wink."

Another mother who competed on Sunday was U.S. racewalker Maria Michta-Coffey, who placed 35th in the 20-kilometer walk just 18 weeks after giving birth to a girl, Liliana.