Jamaican Legend Runs National Record And World No. 1 In Kingston
By Todd Grasley for DyeStat
Six-time Olympic medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce put the world on notice Saturday when she ran a new personal best, Jamaican national record, and world-leading time of 10.63 in Kingston at the JOA/JAAA Olympic Destiny Series.
"To do this on home soil feels pretty special," she said in a post-race interview. "Honestly, I'm just looking forward to what the process will bring and continue to work because I said I wanted nothing more than to break that 10.7 barrier."
Her time moves Fraser-Pryce ahead of Carmelita Jeter's 10.64 set in Shanghai in 2009 to the No. 2 all-time competitor behind world record-holder Florence Griffith-Joyner's mark of 10.49 set back in 1988. Fraser-Pryce achieved the No. 4 performance in history, with Griffith-Joyner also having run 10.61 and 10.62 in 1988.
Making it even more impressive was that it was just the third 100-meter final of the year for the reigning world champion and 2008 and 2012 Olympic gold medalist.
In 2017, Fraser-Pryce missed the World Championships after giving birth to a baby boy, but returned to the track nearly nine months later, and captured her fourth World Championships in 2019.
Twelve female athletes have run under 11 seconds in 2021 alone with Fraser-Pryce, fellow countrywoman and 2016 Olympic gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah (10.78), and American Sha'Carri Richardson (10.72) the only three under 10.8. Fraser-Pryce now has 10 wind-legal performances of 10.75 or faster in her career, more than any female athlete in history.
Those three should make for a compelling competition if they all reach the Olympic final in Tokyo.
However, Fraser-Pryce knows can't look that far ahead.
"Now the focus is on making the national team and taking it from there," she added. "This is just one part of the process and you can't get too complacent, so definitely looking forward to national championships."