As the news of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s pending retirement continues to soak in, Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president Christopher Samuda is among those already expressing gratitude to the decorated athlete, whose life and legacy on the track, has been an inspiration to many across the global sporting landscape.
In fact, Samuda hinted at his association's plans to celebrate the legacy of Jamaican sprint icon, who will hang up her spikes after the Olympic Games in Paris, later this year.
Since she won Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008, Fraser-Pryce has enjoyed one of the most dominating careers in track and field history, as she tallied eight Olympic medals, including three gold, 16 medals at the World Athletics Championships, which includes 10 world titles, and ranks as the third fastest woman in history with 10.60 seconds in the 100m.
But she is not quite done yet, as she will certainly be aiming to add to those accolades and, by extension, fittingly end her illustrious career on a high.
“Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will retire from the track, but it will always be her stomping ground, given the lessons she taught and her legacy will remain. What an athlete. She is a culture of absolute discipline, courage and resilience. An Olympian and World Champion whose enduring commitment to country is inspiring,” Samuda told SportsMax.TV.
“She is a global sporting ambassador whose credentials are well known and are accepted by many countries. The Jamaica Olympic Association will honour those attributes which resided in ‘Pocket Rocket’, and which are now gaining ineffable expression in ‘Mommy Rocket’,” he added.
On that note, Samuda, while reflecting on her many accomplishments, highlighted that Fraser-Pryce is only human, who has given her all to the demands of balancing sport with family life.
“More importantly, she's a daughter, a mother, a wife, and a colleague. An Olympian, a human being endowed with a humanity that embodies goodwill, and a smile that comes from the heart. She embodies a spirit and personhood that makes her not just a gold medalist, but more importantly a standard bearer,” Samuda shared.
“What an explosion she has been on life's track which will forever bear her indelible footprints,” he noted.
The 37-year-old Fraser-Pryce in a recent interview, explained that her decision to retire after this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris stems from her wanting to dedicate more time to her family.
“My son needs me. My husband and I have been together since before I won in 2008. He has sacrificed for me and it’s because of that support that I’m able to do the things that I have been doing for all these years. I think I now owe it to them to do something else,” Fraser-Pryce said.
The vivacious athlete’s win in Beijing made her first Jamaican woman to win an Olympic 100m gold, and her follow-up victory in 2012 made her only the third woman to win back-to-back Olympic titles. She joined other greats Wyoma Tyus and Gail Devers of the USA to accomplish the feat.
Fraser-Pryce’s 2009 World 100m title in Berlin, saw her become the first woman to hold Olympic and World titles simultaneously, a feat she accomplished twice with victories in London in 2012 and Moscow in 2013.
Naggo Head takes 12-point lead into decisive day of INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Central Champs
Naggo Head Primary surged to a 12-point lead heading in the final day of the INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Central Championship at GC Foster College, in St Catherine, on Tuesday.
They won three of the eighth relays, all in record fashion, which propelled them to 89 points after 11 finals. Naggo Head is followed by Greater Portmore on 77 points, while defending champions Spanish Town Primary are third with 74.5 points, with St John’s Primary (58 points) in fourth. Davis Primary rounds out the top five on 33 points.
There will be 29 finals on Wednesday's final day with the Central Champion to be crowned at the end.
The winning school will walk away with $350,000, with $250,000 going to the second-placed team, and $200,000 for third. Fourth to 10th place teams will collect $100,000 each.
In the day’s first final, Yasheka Lewis of Gregory Park won the Girls Cricketball Open with a throw of 43.86m smashing the record for the second time in two day. She earlier threw 41.09m.
Naggo Head got massive points finishing second and third courtesy of Tahnida Gordon (40.82m) and Deranique Gordon (38.73m).
Bridgeport Primary won the Girls Class Four 4x100 relay lowering the record they set on Monday to 1:01.50. Greater Portmore (1:01.82) was second, ahead Davis Primary (1:01.97).
In the Boys’ Class Four 4x100, Naggo Head sped to an impressive 58.94 and destroyed the previous record of 1:00.14 set earlier by Greater Portmore. Davis primary (59.87) and Greater Portmore (1:01.43) were the runners-up.
Naggo Head returned and won the Girls' Class Three relay in a record 55.28 and erased their own mark of 56.75 established in the heats. Davis Primary (56.31) continued their good showing in second position.
The Boys’ Class Three 4x100 relay was an exciting one, with Greater Portmore just edging Naggo Head in a thriller. They clocked a record 54.44 to Naggo Head's 54.48.
As the records continued to tumble, Naggo Head continued to pile up the points, as they captured the Girls' Class Two 4x100 in a record run of 52.73, ahead of Greater Portmore (53.40) and Spanish Town (54.83).
So impressive were Naggo Head girls that the boys in the same class, ran a record 53.12. That record was clocked by Greater Portmore, who won ahead of Southborough (53.32), and Ascot Primary (53.45).
Greater Portmore took the Girls' Class One 4x100 in 52.81, which was also a record. They won ahead of Naggo Head (53.07) and Spanish Town (53.09).
The final relay, the Boys' Class One, saw Spanish Town secure their only win, clocking 50.34 ahead of Southborough (50.65).
Charlton donates world record singlet and bib to Museum of World Athletics
Devynne Charlton has donated her Bahamian team singlet and name bib from the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow to the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA).
The 28-year-old Charlton lowered her own world-record, which she set when she ran 7.67 in New York in New York on February 11, when she ran 7.65 to win her first global title in the Scottish capital.
She finished clear of France’s defending champion Cyrena Samba-Mayela. Charlton took silver behind the French athlete in Belgrade two years before.
Charlton handed over her Glasgow top to World Athletics President Sebastian Coe at the official press conference staged infield at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in Nassau.
"Charlton’s near faultless final in Glasgow was one of two world records during a standout evening session," said Coe.
"On behalf of the Museum of World Athletics, I gratefully thank Charlton for her generous donation, which perfectly embodies her exceptional indoor season.
"In an Olympic year, it is worth reflecting that Charlton’s singlet joins an artefact of a sprint hurdling legend in the MOWA. Our museum’s collection holds the embroidered ‘Nederland’ badge which Fanny Blankers-Koen wore when winning the Olympic 80m hurdles gold, one of four victories achieved by ‘The Flying Dutchwoman’ at the London 1948 Olympic Games."
Charlton expressed joy and excitement at the donation.
"I am very happy to present my world indoor championship winning singlet and bib to the Museum of World Athletics. I will be excited to see them displayed online in 3D and exhibited around the world. I hope they help inspire future athletes and fans about the excitement of athletics,” she said.
"It is a great honour to have my achievements recognised in the museum alongside those of many all-time greats, whose careers I dream to emulate as I fulfil my track ambitions," she added.
Charlton’s World Athletics Indoor Championships winning kit will also sit with the shoes and clothing of two other world indoor 60m hurdles champions in the Heritage Collection of the MOWA.
Olympic champions Gail Devers of USA and Sally Pearson of Australia, respectively world indoor 60m hurdles champions in Birmingham 2003 and Istanbul 2012, donated their singlets, bib numbers and running spikes to the MOWA from their 2004 (60m gold, 60m hurdles silver) and 2014 (60m hurdles silver) world indoor campaigns.
Jamaica, Barbados engage partnership to enhance athletics in the Eastern Caribbean Island
If things go according to plans, then Jamaica and Barbados will execute a partnership with aimed at enhancing athletics training and coaching quality in Barbados.
This was revealed by Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, who pointed out that plans are currently in the pipeline for a collaborative effort between the two island nations, which will involve an exchange of coaching expertise to elevate the standard of sports training.
“There’s a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) between Jamaica and us to exchange coaches to be able to work with them in terms of how we develop,” Griffiths revealed, adding that plans for the bilateral initiative was birthed by a similar partnership between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
“I was in Washington at a conference and had a sit-down with Minister [Olivia] Grange, Minister of Sports in Jamaica. They have worked with Trinidad in terms of developing the coaches there,” he noted.
Griffith acknowledged that there are concerns about the current coaching standards in Barbados and, as such, emphasized the necessity of having highly skilled coaches to match the calibre of world-class athletes.
“I won’t push it at this meeting, but I’m concerned with the level of coaches. I think that if you’re going to have a world-class athlete, you must match that athlete with a world-class coach,” he declared.
That said, Griffiths pointed out that upcoming infrastructural developments are in place to complement ongoing sporting initiatives within the country.
“I’m looking to see how we can have that marriage where we can fuse resources together in terms of working with Jamaica to develop the athletes on island. Hopefully by next week or the week after, you will see work starting on the old netball stadium to turn that into a multi-discipline facility for netball, basketball, and volleyball,” he shared.
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