Two weeks ago, it was Fraser-Pryce who beat Thompson-Herah to claim the Jamaica 100m national title. This time around, Thompson-Herah turned the tables to lead virtually wire to wire to clock a fast 10.71. The time was a new meeting record and just one 100th of a second outside of her personal best.
Fraser-Pryce was second in 10.82, with Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou third in 10.86. Another Caribbean athlete, Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle Lee-Ahye was third in 11.09, her second-best time this season. Fraser-Pryce owns the fastest time in the world this year, and second-best all-time, after her 10.63 clocking last month.
Elsewhere, Stefanie-Ann McPherson continued her excellent run of form after clocking another sub-50 time to claim the women’s 400m. Running from lane 4, the Jamaican national champion had all but covered the field by the halfway mark and was comfortable in getting to the line in 49.99. The United States’ Wadeline Jonathas was second in 50.70, with the Netherlands ’ Lieke Klaver third in 51.29.
In other events, Jamaica’s Fedrick Dacres claimed third spot in the men’s discus after registering a best of 65.08. The event was won by Sweden’s Daniel Sthal who recorded 67.71. Lithuania’s Andrius Gudžius was second with a mark of 66.71.
Thompson-Herah crossed the line in section one of the event, in a time of 11.21, well clear of Sprintec’s Remona Mitchell who was second in 11.35. Thompson-Herah’s MVP teammate Natasha Morrison took third overall after winning section 2 in a time of 11.41.
In the men’s equivalent, former world record holder Asafa Powell was forced to settle for third spot after crossing the line in 10.48. MVP’s Nigel Stewart took the top spot with a time of 10.39, just ahead of Sprintec’s Rodney Brendon who clocked 10.40.
In the women’s 200m, decorated multiple champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the event after crossing the line in 22.66, winning section 2 ahead of Stephanie McPherson who was second in 22.90. Section one winner Brianna Lyston was third overall in 23.28.
The men’s equivalent was won by Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes who destroyed the competition after recording 20.14. Sprintech’s Romario Williams was second in 20.59, with Petersfield Antonio Williams third in 20.70.
In the women’s 400m, first place went to Sprint Tech’s Ronda Whyte, who finished first in 51.28. Second place went to UWI Mona’s Candice McCleod (51.56) with Roneisha McGregor taking third in 52.06.
Thompson-Herah looked in full control of the race before pulling well clear of the field with around 10 metres to go and stopping the clock at 10.79. American Sha’Carri Richardson finished at the head of the pack behind Thompson-Herah, clocking 10.92 for second spot. The time was identical to another Jamaican, Sherika Jackson, an Olympic 100m bronze medallist. Richardson was, however, given second ahead of Jackson based on the photo finish.
Elsewhere, another Jamaican star, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce took top spot in the women’s 200m. Fraser-Pryce stopped the clock in a season’s best 22.41, well clear of second-place Brittany Brown who was timed in 22.74. The Bahamas’ Anthonique Strachan was third in 22.76.
In the women’s 800m, Olympic finalist Natoya Goule finished fourth in 1:59.39. The event was won by Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson in 1:57.72.
The 2019/2020 track season was characterized by meet cancellations and the introduction of virtual formats because the pandemic that has been sweeping the globe since March. However, meets gradually returned largely before empty stadia but many athletes still managed to deliver world-class performances.
Among them was the 2016 double Olympic champion who was fastest in the world over 100m for 2020.
Thompson Herah’s 10.85 set in Rome on September 17 beat out her compatriot and rival Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who ended her year ranked second by virtue of the 10.86s run at the Velocity Fest meeting in Kingston’s National Stadium on August 22.
Rising star Sha’ Carri Richardson, in her first full season as a professional, was third fastest with 10.95.
The Bahamian sprint queen was equally impressive in the year in which she set a personal best of 10.98s in the 100m and the world’s best time of 21.98 in the 200m at the Back to the Track Meeting in Clermont, Florida on July 25.
Richardson capped her great year with a personal best 22.00 that was the second fastest for 2020 while Thompson Herah’s 22.19 ranked her third in the world for the year.
Miller-Uibo, who last year set 48.37 the sixth fastest time in history over the 400m was only second best for 2020 with 50.52 set in Monteverde, Florida on July 4. That time was only bettered by Lynna Irby’s 50.50, the fastest time in the world this year.
Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands clocked 50.98, which made her third best in the world for the year.
Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago both advanced to the final.
The Trinidadian team consisting of Deon Lendore, Jereem Richards, Machel Cedenio and Dwight St. Hillaire ran a season’s best of 2:58.60 to finish 3rd in heat 1 and progress.
Jamaica fielded a team of Demish Gaye, Jaheel Hyde, Karayme Bartley and Nathon Allen to finish 2nd in heat 2 with a season’s best time of 2:59.29 to advance.
Women’s 400 Metres
The Caribbean secured two medals in the women’s 400 metres.
Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas successfully defended her title from the 2016 Games by winning gold in a personal best 48.36, the 6th fastest time ever in the event.
She was followed by Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic who took silver in a national record 49.20.
Allyson Felix of the USA became the most decorated female track athlete in Olympic history by finishing 3rd and securing her 10th Olympic medal, one more than Jamaican legend Merlene Ottey.
Jamaicans Stephenie-Ann McPherson and Candice McLeod finished 4th and 5th in 49.61 and 49.87 respectively.
Cuba’s Roxana Gomez started the final but unfortunately failed to finish, pulling up injured about 100 metres into the race.
Women’s 4x100 Metres
The Jamaican quartet of Briana Williams, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson celebrated Jamaica’s Independence Day by running a national record of 41.02 to secure the gold medal.
This marks Jamaica’s first time winning Olympic gold in women’s 4x100 metres relay since Athens 2004.
Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels, Jenna Prandini and Gabby Thomas combined to run 41.45 to secure the silver medal for the USA, while Great Britain with Asha Phillip, Imani Lansiquot, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita ran 41.88 for bronze.
Men’s 4x100 Metres
Jamaica finished 5th in the final of the men’s 4x100 metres relay.
Jevaughn Minzie, Julian Forte, Yohan Blake and Oblique Seville combined to run 37.84 to finish behind Italy, Great Britain, Canada and China.
The Italian team of Lorenzo Patta, Lamont Marcell Jacobs, Fostine Desalu and Filippo Tortu ran a national record 37.50 to secure gold and continue the country’s impressive track & field showing in Tokyo.
The British team comprising of CJ Ujah, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake ran 37.51 to finish just behind the Italians in 2nd.
Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney and Andre De Grasse combined to run 37.70 and secure the bronze for Canada.
The Jamaican team won in a national record 41.02 seconds. It was the second-fastest time in history and ended the U.S. team’s push for a third consecutive Olympic gold in the event.
The American team of Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels, Jenna Prandini, and Gabrielle Thomas won silver in 41.45 and Britain took bronze in 41.88.
Elaine Thompson-Herah won the 100 meters on Saturday in an Olympic record. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was second and Shericka Jackson was third in that race. Those three joined Briana Williams as the Jamaicans added the Olympic relay title to their world championship gold in 2019.
With a record five 100m world titles and two Olympic blue-ribbon titles to her name, Fraser-Pryce is part of a golden era of Jamaican sprinters that includes illustrious figures like Usain Bolt, Melaine Walker, Veronica Campbell Brown and many more.
Her journey from a young girl in Waterhouse to a global athletics icon is a testament to the power of determination and talent.
"It definitely feels good, I think for me, especially coming from, you know, Waterhouse, a young girl who didn't, you know, know where she would end up in the future," Fraser-Pryce shared in an interview with Black Enterprise.
"But to be able to be one of the icons of our country is really phenomenal. And being able to give inspiration to other young girls who are coming from similar situations as I was, or even now, being able to relate to where I'm at on my journey, whether it's on motherhood, age, or a lot of things. So being able to drive that, you know, here in my hometown, being able to say that I'm homegrown, being able to say that."
Fraser-Pryce's success has not only made her a sporting legend but also a hometown hero. She acknowledges the support of the people of Jamaica, saying, "A lot of who I am is because of the people of Jamaica and how much they have poured into me, and their support has always been so constant."
Representing her country and community fills her with immense pride, knowing that she carries their hopes and dreams with her on the world stage.
Being part of Jamaica's golden era of track and field athletes has driven Fraser-Pryce to continuously raise the bar.
"I think that helps us to elevate who we are as a country and as women when we step on the line to know that we have such a rich history when it comes to track and field," she stated. It motivates her to give her all, showcasing the strength and prowess of Jamaican athletes to the world.
Despite being a small island nation, Fraser-Pryce firmly believes that Jamaica's athletes have made a significant impact. "You always want to make sure that we, you know, we show up, and I show up, and being able to put our country first because we understand what limited resources mean," she said. Fraser-Pryce wants to inspire young athletes in Jamaica that greatness can be achieved even on their home turf with the right mindset and determination.
"We're little, but we tallawah," Fraser-Pryce emphasized. "It's not about the size but the punch. So we're able to really make a statement globally, and we're really appreciative of all that we've been able to accomplish."
On Friday, a second-string team that featured a quartet of Briana Williams, Nataliah Whyte and Remona Burchell, and Kemba Nelson, made it to the finals with very little drama, after finishing behind Great Britain with a time of 42.37.
Even so, the Jamaican team’s changeovers were significantly slower than that of the British team who won the event with a time of 41.99. Great Britain's combined changeover splits were clocked at 6.26, with the second place Jamaicans coming in at 6.77, the second slowest in the field. The Jamaicans have also had their fair share of mishaps when it comes to getting the stick around in previous games. Most notably, the team failed to complete the baton changes at the 2008 Olympic Games where they were heavy favourites.
“If I’m being honest, we don’t do a lot of relay practice in Jamaica which I think can be a downfall for us. I think if we had time to have relay camps we would be better at the 4x100s,” Fraser-Pryce said on Friday.
With that being said, the Jamaicans have a solid record at the World Championships recently and have won the event at 4 of the last 6 editions. With 100m champion Fraser-Pryce, 200m champion Shericka Jackson and Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah to join the line-up, for the final, the team has plenty of firepower left in reserve.
“We just pray to God when the finals come we will have a blistering run and we will have Shericka (Jackson) with that 21.4, listen it’s over!” the athlete quipped.
The Jamaica men's team, who once dominated with quartets led by the legendary Usain Bolt, also advanced out of the heats but as one of the fastest losers. Competing in heat 2 the quartet of Ackeem Blake, Kemar Bailey-Cole, Conroy Jones and Jelani Walker finished fourth in 38.33.
The quartet of Briana Williams, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Shericka Jackson captured the gold medal with a new national record of 41.02. The time narrowly eclipsed the previous mark of 41.07, set at the 2008 Beijing Games, but was some way short of the 40.82 set by the USA in 2012. The time was, however, the third-fastest ever run over the distance.
Even with the threat of the US, the quartet used safe changes for most of the race, with the bigger target clearly being the gold medal. Despite, dominating the 100m sprints for over a decade, the gold medal was the first for the Jamaica women’s team since Athens 2004.
“It wasn’t perfect, but we did manage to get the stick around. We didn’t get the world record, but we got a national record on Independence Day, what more could you ask for,” Thompson-Herah, who added a third gold medal for the Games, said following the event.
Fraser-Pryce, the 100m silver medallist, backed up the notion.
“It was good, as an elite athlete or a senior athlete, I was just ready to make sure we took the opportunity and took the stick around and we got a national record. We wanted a world record, but we also wanted Elaine to get the three gold medals because the last Olympics she missed it and now we have it,” Fraser-Pryce said.
The Jamaicans had taken silver behind the USA at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the last time Thompson had been in a position to claim three gold medals after winning the 100m and 200m.
The relay gold was, however, also the first for Fraser-Pryce, who saw the team she was part of at the 2008 Olympics fail to get the baton around the track and also being a part of quartets that finished second in both 2012 and 2016.
Williams was participating in her first Olympics, while Jackson who got a 4x400m silver in 2016 has only just started to take part in the sprints.
The 27-year-old is ready to start her World Championships campaign in Budapest.
Asher-Smith, who finished fourth in the 100m at the Worlds last year despite equalling her British record of 10.83 seconds, and Daryll Neita race in the 100m heats on Sunday.
They are aiming to challenge Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson, who completed a clean sweep of the medals in Eugene 13 months ago. Asher-Smith took 200m bronze behind Jackson and Fraser-Pryce.
“I definitely do think we’re in like a golden age,” said Asher-Smith. “It will be remembered as kind of like a (Usain) Bolt era but on the side of the women’s, and far more competitive. There are a lot of women in that arena.
“You say Shelley-Ann and Elaine would be like, ‘ah?’ Then even this year, Shericka will be like, ‘er?’ There are just so many.
“I feel like when there’s so many people running fast, there’s no point thinking about other people. You’ve just got to focus on yourself.
“If you start focusing on one or two, you’ll forget about the other seven, who are also incredibly quick. There’s lots of very, very talented and very experienced women racing.
“I think we have one of the strongest and what will hopefully be the most exciting events of this World Championships.
“There’s a lot of depth. All you can do is focus on yourself, right? That’s all I can do. I can only control myself. So that’s kind of what I am doing.”
Neita, who along with Asher-Smith is also running in the 200m and 4x100m relay, goes into the Championships ranked seventh in the world in both individual events.
She said: “I’m feeling very confident. It’s going to be the first time I’m doing two events and then onto the relay as well. So it’s very different this year, because I’m normally going for the 100 metres, which is we know is stacked.
“Failing to make the final at worlds last year was very bittersweet, running the fastest ever semi-final not to make it.
“The 200m is still a pretty new event for me but I’m feeling very confident and I’m just going there this year, very relaxed, not putting too much pressure on myself, but just really want to have fun and execute and just achieve as well as I can.”
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.
Heading into the women’s 100m, it is the Jamaican trio of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shericka Jackson who have clocked the fastest times over the distance this year.
Out front, is reigning world champion and two-time winner of the event Fraser-Pryce, with her best time of 10.63, which was recorded last month. The time was the second-fastest time ever recorded over the distance and fastest in 33 years.
Next up, reigning Olympic champion Thompson-Herah has a season-best of 10.71, a run that she recorded a few weeks ago. American sprinter Sha’carri Richardson is next on the world's top list with her time of 10.72, which was recorded in April. Richardson will, however, miss out on the Games after testing positive for marijuana last month.
Jackson, formerly a 400m specialist, had a breakout performance in the sprints last month where she recorded a personal best of 10.77, at the country’s national trials where she was second behind Fraser-Pryce. The fourth-fastest this year, by an athlete, and certainly puts the 27-year-old firmly in the conversation.
“The women’s 100m will be won by Shelly-Ann Fraser, that's my personal favourite. I really think Jamaica has the opportunity to sweep. I think Shericka Jackson has something up her sleeve,” Bailey said during the SportsMax.Tv special series Great Ones.
“We know Elaine will be there, but I think Shelly-Ann is going to get up and keep Elaine out, but I think Shericka Jackson has something for somebody,” he added.
In addition to their fast times this season, all three Jamaicans have the experience of standing on the medal podium. Fraser-Pryce won the event at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, while Thompson-Herah won the 2016 edition. It will be Jackson’s first time competing at the event, but she claimed a bronze medal in the 400m at the 2016 Rio Games.
“I was looking forward to this race because I really wanted to see Sha’Carri Richardson under the spotlight with the greatest sprinters of this generation. I was looking forward to that,” Bailey said.
“The men’s final is open but the women’s final for me is a little more straightforward. When the lights shine bright, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will not back down.”
However, the 33-year-old veteran, in an interview on the Olympic channel, said her greatest victory occurred at the 2019 World Championships in Doha where became the first athlete to win four 100m World titles.
Winning her first world title after giving birth, made it extra special.
“My greatest win is coming back and having my son and winning that World Championships,” said Fraser Pryce who took home two gold medals from Doha. She was also a member of Jamaica’s winning 4x100m relay team.
“For a lot of times in my life I have been told what I can do, what I cannot do and what is attainable for me; and here I am putting everything to the test, understanding that we are not limited, we are so much more, we are powerful, we are strong.
“Having my son rejuvenated me mentally, spiritually and emotionally.”
The two gold medals Fraser-Pryce won in Doha brought her World Championships gold medal tally to nine.
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