At the age of 36, with six World Championships behind her and 10 gold medals in her collection, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is preparing to venture into unknown territory at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23.
“It’s a new situation for me to come back from injury and start my season so late,” the Jamaican sprint phenomenon confessed after contesting her first 100m race of the year, in Lucerne on 20 July.
Having won in Switzerland in 10.82 and in Madrid in 10.83 two days later, Fraser-Pryce heads to the Hungarian capital with an unbeaten record at 100m in 2023. Her only other races since overcoming a knee problem have been a 200m heat and final at the Jamaican Championships, where she finished second to Shericka Jackson, the world champion at the distance, in 22.26 – plus, of course, that celebrated victory in the mother’s race at her son’s school sports day.
Three women have gone faster: Jackson, with her scorching 10.65 at the Jamaican Championships, Sha’Carri Richardson with 10.71 in the heats at the US Championships and the bang in-form Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou with 10.75 at the Bislett Games.
The Jamaican Supermom – who will be concentrating on the 100m, having withdrawn from the 200m – will need to close the gap on her rivals if she is to win the title for a sixth time and equal Sergey Bubka’s record haul of individual golds in one event.
In 14 years, Fraser-Pryce has only once failed to cross the line first in a World Championships 100m final, finishing fourth in Daegu in 2011.
In Oregon 12 months ago, she won in a championship record 10.67 – one of her record seven sub-10.70 performances in 2022 – with Jackson second in 10.73. This time Jackson has the super-fast time going into the championships, plus two 10.78 performances, but her only 100m wins have been on home ground in Jamaica. On the Diamond League circuit, the two-time world 400m bronze medallist has finished runner-up to Richardson in Doha and Silesia and third in Oslo and London.
In terms of head-to-heads, Fraser-Pryce boasts an 8-1 record against her compatriot and training partner and a 21-4 advantage over Ta Lou, but is tied at 3-3 with Richardson, her three successes against the US sprinter having come in their last three meetings.
At 34, Ta Lou is in the form of her life. A close second to the late Tori Bowie in London in 2017, losing the gold by 0.01, and third behind Fraser-Pryce and Dina Asher-Smith in Doha in 2019, the 5ft 3in African Pocket Rocket has blasted to 10 victories in 10 100m races in 2023, including Diamond League successes in Florence, Oslo, Lausanne and London, and looks a serious contender for a first global gold.
“I’m really going for the gold and I believe that I can do it,” Ta Lou said. “I know my finish is strong, but my start could be better. I need to improve it to make sure I can achieve my goal of winning gold.”
The 22-year-old Richardson, who will be making her major championship debut as a senior, has won eight of nine races at 100m this year, including Diamond League victories in Doha and Silesia. She has reached an impressive level of consistency, registering four of the fastest seven times in 2023, all 10.76 or quicker.
Her one defeat came in the Istvan Gyulai Memorial in Szekesfehervar on 18 July, when she clocked 10.97 as runner-up to the new kid on the blocks, Julien Alfred from St Lucia. The 22-year-old Commonwealth silver medallist prevailed in 10.89, stretching her unbeaten record to 10 wins.
Fifth fastest in the world at 100m with 10.83, Alfred has also clocked the third fastest 200m (21.91), suggesting she has the speed endurance to feature at the end of a close contest.
Brittany Brown and Tamari Davis, second and third behind Richardson at the US Championships, both have the potential to make the final and mount a challenge, while 2012 world U20 champion Anthonique Strachan of The Bahamas clocked 10.92 as runner up to Ta Lou in Oslo in June.
The European challenge will be led by Asher-Smith, who clocked an encouraging 10.85 as runner-up to Ta Lou in the London Diamond League, and Poland’s 2019 European indoor 60m champion Ewa Swoboda, who broke 11 seconds for the first time with 10.94 for third place in Silesia.
Ricketts opens season with 14.50m to win triple jump at Jamaica Athletics Invitational
Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts provided her home fans with a solid performance to win the women’s triple jump at the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.
The two-time World Championships silver medallist produced a best jump of 14.50m on her first attempt that proved to be enough to win in the end.
American Jasmine Moore had a best jump of 14.28m for second while Dominican World Indoor Champion Thea Lafond jumped 14.22m in the sixth and final round to clinch third.
“I feel exceptional. I usually get started with my season much earlier but this year we decided to get a few things corrected before coming into competition,” Ricketts said following the competition.
“Competing with world class athletes who have been doing well indoors as well really pushed me and gave me a good implication of where I’m at this season,” she added.
The 2022 Commonwealth Champion also spoke on competing in Jamaica.
“It’s always a pleasure to compete in Kingston. Usually, I try to do a meet here before going overseas to compete in the Diamond League. The crowd has warmed up to the jumps because of how well I’ve been doing overseas over the years. I’m always grateful for the support,” she said.
Great Britain’s Hughes, Asher-Smith get 200m victories at Jamaica Athletics Invitational
Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and Dina Asher-Smith took victories in the men’s and women’s 200m events at the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.
Hughes, a bronze medallist in the 100m at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, produced a season’s best 19.96 to win ahead of American Fred Kerley (20.17) and France’s Pablo Mateo (20.20).
“I feel really good. I think this is my second 200m race of the season. When I opened up I wasn’t ready so tonight I was just testing out the waters. We’re starting to sharpen up but not as much because it’s a long season,” Hughes said after the race.
“To run 19.96 now, I’m very happy. I just need to stay healthy and continue to execute my races accordingly and everything will be okay,” he added.
2019 World Champion Asher-Smith narrowly won the women’s event in 22.51 ahead of the Ivory Coast’s Jessika Gbai (22.53) with Jamaica’s Lanae-Tava Thomas running 22.84 for third.
Asher-Smith says she was hoping for a quicker time and has some things to work on.
“I’m in really good shape so I was hoping to get a quicker time today. Clearly, I’ve got some stuff that I’ve got to work on so I’m going to go back to Austin and work on them but I’m happy to have won here in Jamaica,” she said.
USA’s Holmes, Great Britain’s Hudson-Smith win 400m races at Jamaica Athletics Invitational
American Alexis Holmes and great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith emerged as the winners of the women’s and men’s 400m races at the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.
Holmes, a member of the USA’s gold medal-winning mixed relay team at the World Championships in Budapest last year and the World Relays this year in Nassau, ran 50.31 to lead an American 1-2-3 with Brittany Brown running 51.21 in second and Naasha Robinson running 51.81 in third.
“I had a lot of fun. The energy was great,” Holmes said after the race.
“I was expecting a smooth race and just trying to get the win. I just try to stay relaxed and poised because I know I have a strong finish,” she added.
The men’s race saw World Championship silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith produce 44.69 to take the win ahead of American Matthew Boling (44.98) and Jamaica’s Zandrion Barnes (45.41).
“I’m a lot more healthier this year. I’ve got the best team in the world. My coach Gary Evans is a man with a plan and this year it’s all about being healthy when it matters,” he said after the race.
“It was a good executed race. We just wanted to come home strong and be composed. I’ve got Oslo, Europeans, Monaco and London so I’ve got a lot more races and training,” he added.
The Brit also gave props to World Champion Antonio Watson who ran 45.61 for fifth.
“Listen, he’s the reigning World Champion so I’ve got to give him respect. He came out here in front of his people and raced. He delivered when it mattered,” he said.
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