Last month, in Japan at the World Athletics Championships, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce passed the baton to the next generation, quite literally. After helping the Jamaican 4x100m relay team to silver, the 38-year-old announced her retirement.
Few athletes have defined an era like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce . With eight Olympic medals, ten world titles, and a career built on blazing speed and unshakable determination, she’s inspired generations far beyond the track.
There are certain heartbreaks that you see coming, but the awareness does nothing to dull the pain. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce‘s retirement was one such instance.
“For the past 18 years, time down to the very millisecond—has been at the epicenter of my life,” wrote Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on Instagram as she announced her retirement after nearly two decades of dominance.
“From Waterhouse to the world, every second has been for something greater”. Indeed, it has been! Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s journey began in a modest corner of Kingston, Jamaica.
For Jamaican sprinting legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, stepping on the tracks to do what she does best is nothing new. Except this time at the Paris Olympics, the eight-time medalist faces an unprecedented challenge.
Julien Alfred, the former Texas Longhorn superstar, easily made it through Friday’s preliminary rounds of the women’s 100 meters at the Paris Olympics.
While a few would-be gold-medal threats are not headed to Japan, numerous reigning Olympic and world champions are set to represent their countries. A few world records will be in jeopardy.