The Penwood Church of Christ Early Childhood Institution in Kingston was on Thursday, December 8, renamed the Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Early Childhood Institution in honour of the five-time World 100m champion and three-time Olympic gold medallist, who grew up in the underserved community.

In addition to the renaming of the school, the church also had a billboard mounted congratulating the athletic icon for her accomplishments this past season.

Fraser-Pryce’s sponsor Nike presented a cheque for US$100,000 while GraceKennedy committed to JMD$500,0000 to a breakfast programme instituted by Fraser-Pryce as well as a lunch programme.

Digicel Foundation, meanwhile, is in discussion about in what way they will support the ECI.

Thursday’s ceremony was several years in the making, according to Raphael Walker, Elder at the Penwood Church of Christ and Chairman of the Early Childhood Institution. He explained that several years ago, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports, had declared that in recognition of her athletic exploits, a decision had been made to name an educational institution after the celebrated athlete.

“A few years ago, the Minister of Sport (Olivia) ‘Babsy’ Grange made an announcement. When that announcement was made they started looking for schools to would be named in her honour,” said Walker.

“Shelly indicated that she wanted to be one of the schools that she attended. She attended George Headley, so that renaming wasn’t there, Wolmer’s is named after John Wolmer, so it came down to the ECI that she attended.

“The church met and agreed from then.”

Following the decision, the Early Childhood Commission and Culture, Heart, Arts, Sport and Education (CHASE) Fund renovated the school. “The school was equipped with smart boards and smart equipment, the kitchen was renovated, the playground, the entire school was renovated but nothing had happened since,” the chairman disclosed.

“We got impatient. We said we are going to rename it the Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ECI and when they (the government) decide what they are going to do it will become the Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Infant School.”

Deacon Walker said the occasion was well received.

“The decision was made soon after she won the world title in Oregon. Generally, the church has always done something for her after every achievement. So, in addition to the renaming, there is a billboard that we have put up congratulating for all that she did this year,” he said.

It was well received, there were people from the church, the children of the basic school performed and a citation was given to Fraser-Pryce, who made a ‘powerful’ speech to the gathering.

“It was a very powerful speech that she made conferring her commitment to Waterhouse, the church, the school and a pledge to continue to give back and empower the children of Waterhouse and to make their lives much better.”

Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce and Shericka Jackson headline the eight nominees for the RJR Gleaner Sportswoman of the Year award.

Fraser-Pryce dominated 100-metre sprinting in 2022, setting the eighth fastest time of the year, and winning the gold medal at the World Championships in Oregon. Fraser-Pryce also took silver medals in the 200m and the 4 x 100 metres relay at the World Championships, before winning the Diamond for 100m in Zurich. She ended the year ranked No. 1 in the 100m and No. 3 in the 200m. Fraser-Pryce won the National Sportswoman of the Year award in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2019.

Shericka Jackson astonished the world with amazing 200m runs in 2022. She took the sprint double at the National Championships, before winning the 200m at the World Championships in Oregon, running the second fastest time in history —21.45 seconds. Jackson also took silver in the 100m and the sprint relay at the World Championships. She then won the 100m at the NACAC Championship, finished second in the 100m at the Diamond League final, and won the 200m Diamond in Zurich. She finished the year ranked No. 1 in the 200m and No. 2 in the 100m.

The other six nominees are Britany Anderson, Lamara Distin, Jhaniele Fowler-Reid, Shanieka Ricketts, Janieve Russell and Elaine Thompson-Herah.

National 100-metre hurdle champion, Anderson took the silver medal for her event at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon and added the Diamond League bronze medal to top off a very good year. Globally, she ranked third for her event.

Distin won gold at the Commonwealth Games with a height of 1.95 metres. She also won the NCAA High Jump title.

Fowler-Reid set a new record of 808 goals for the Suncorp Super Netball League in Australia. She then went on to be the highest scorer at the Commonwealth Games with 273 goals. Fowler-Reid, who led Jamaica to its first victory over Australia in senior netball, was the driving force behind Jamaica’s second place finish at the Commonwealth Games, the Sunshine Girls’ highest global ranking in international netball.

Triple jumper Shanieka Ricketts had a great 2022, winning the National Championship in Kingston as well as several international meets. At the World Championships in Eugene, she took the silver medal in 14.89 metres. She added the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and the bronze medal at the Diamond League Final in Zurich. She finished the year ranked No. 2.

National Champion Janieve Russell had a good 2022 over the 400m hurdles. She had several high finishes on the Diamond League circuit, won the 400m hurdles at the NACAC Championship in The Bahamas, and finished third at the Diamond League Final in Zurich. She finished the year ranked 5th for the 400m hurdles.

Despite struggling with significant injuries, Elaine Thompson-Herah still managed some outstanding performances in 2022. She took the 100m bronze medal at the World Championships in Oregon and added the silver medal in the sprint relay. Thompson-Herah then went on to the Commonwealth Games where she achieved the rare sprint double, winning the 100m in 10.95 seconds, and the 200m in 22.02 seconds. She finished the year ranked No. 3 in the 100m. She won the award in 2016 and 2021.

The winner will be announced at the RJR Gleaner National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards Ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus on January 23.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce bounced back from her only defeat of the season last week in Brussels to win the women’s 100m at the Diamond League final in Zurich on Thursday.

Fraser-Pryce, who won her fifth World Championship 100m gold medal in Eugene in July, sped to 10.65, her seventh sub 10.7 time this season, to win her fifth Diamond Trophy.

Teammate Shericka Jackson, who ran 10.73 to beat Fraser-Pryce in Brussels, finished second in 10.81 while The Ivory Coast’s Marie Josee Ta Lou ran 10.91 for third.

Fraser-Pryce ends her stellar season with 10 wins out of 11 races in the 100m.

2011 World 100m Champion Yohan Blake ran 10.05 to finish second in the men's equivalent behind American World Championship bronze medallist Trayvon Bromell (9.94). Canadian Aaron brown ran 10.06 for third.

Five-time World 100m Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran a world-leading 10.66 for victory at the Silesia Diamond League meeting in Poland on Saturday.

Fraser-Pryce, who won her fifth world title in Eugene recently, got her usual bullet start before proceeding to step away from the field and register her fourth sub-10.7 time this season and sixth overall, more than any other woman in history. American Aleia Hobbs ran 10.94 for second while The Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou was third in 11.00.

In the men’s equivalent, World Championship semi-finalist Ackeem Blake ran 10.00 for third behind Americans Trayvon Bromell (9.95) and Marvin Bracy (10.00) who won bronze and silver at the recently concluded World Championships in Eugene.

Shericka Jackson, who ran 21.45 to win gold at the World Championships and become the fastest woman alive in the event, won the 200m in 21.84 ahead of Bahamian World 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo (22.35) and American Jenna Prandini (22.39).

Meanwhile, in the Men's 400m Grenada's Kirani James ran a fast 44.55 but had to settle for the runner-up spot as Michael Norman, the 2022 World Champion, claimed victory in 44.11. Bryce Deadmon was third in 44.68.

The women's race was won by the incredible Dutch 400m hurdler Femke Bol, who clocked a personal best of 49.75, a new meet record and national record.

Poland's Natalia Kaczmarek finished second in a personal best time of 49.86. World Championships finalist Candice McLeod was third in 50.22 just ahead of compatriot Stephenie-Ann McPherson who ran 50.31 for fourth.

Five-time world 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has urged fans to be mindful of the things they say to athletes when things aren’t going well.

“Jamaicans have a short-term memory. You’ll do a great thing this year and come back and not have a good year and they want to beat you down to the ground,” Fraser-Pryce said to over 8,000 fans who tuned in to her Instagram live on Thursday.

There have been many instances where athletes have had a good year and, because of injuries or other troublesome circumstances, have failed to produce those performances consistently in the years after.

“It’s a whole lot they have to deal with so you have to be careful with your comments sometimes, because sometimes you make some comments and some of the athletes take them to heart and dwell on them,” Fraser-Pryce said.

“You have to big up the athletes. Every year is not the same…it’s not easy so, when you see the athletes out here representing you must know it takes a whole lot of work and they’re going to have good times and bad times,” she added.

Fraser-Pryce used her teammate and 200m gold medallist Shericka Jackson as an example. At last year’s Tokyo Olympics, Jackson failed to advance out of the heats of the 200m and, a year later, she is the world champion and fastest woman alive at the distance.

“Last year, Shericka didn’t run the 200m, and I know she cried and she came back and look, 21.45. She went back and put in the work, so you just have to understand that everything is a process and it takes time,” Fraser-Pryce said.

Shericka Jackson produced the second fastest 200m time in history to win gold in the women’s 200m final at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene on Thursday night.

Jackson, who won silver in the 100m with a 10.73 personal best on Sunday, ran a spectacular championship record 21.45 for victory ahead of teammate Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (21.81) and Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith (22.02). Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah finished seventh in 22.39.

Jackson’s time also makes her the fastest woman alive over the distance and is a new national record.

In the men’s equivalent, the USA completed their second sprint sweep of the championships with Noah Lyles defending his title from Doha with a phenomenal world-leading and lifetime best of 19.31 to become the third fastest man in history over the distance.

Kenny Bednarek ran 19.77 for the silver medal while 18-year-old Erriyon Knighton took the bronze in 19.80. The Dominican Republic's Alexander Ogando and Trinidad & Tobago's Jereem Richards were fifth and sixth in 19.93 and 20.08, respectively.

In the Women’s 800m, Jamaica’s 1500m semi-finalist Adelle Tracey ran a personal best of 1:59.20 to finish third in heat one and advance to the semi-finals.

Joining Tracey in the semis will be her Jamaican teammate and 2019 World Championships finalist Natoya Goule, who won the sixth and final heat in 2:00.06.

In the field, the world leader and defending world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada needed only one throw to advance to the final of the men’s javelin, registering a mark of 89.91m. Trinidadian 2012 Olympic gold medallist Keshorn Walcott failed to advance, finishing 16^th overall in qualifying with a throw of 78.87m.

Cuba’s Lazaro Martinez jumped 17.06m to advance to the final of the men’s triple jump.

Shericka Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah all advanced to the final of the women’s 200m at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene on Tuesday.

Jackson, who won silver in the 100m in a personal best 10.73 on Sunday, looked magnificent in semi-final 1, cruising to 21.67 to win and advance to the final.

100m bronze medallist and double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah finished third in semi-final 2 in a season’s best 21.97 to advance to the final as a fastest loser. The USA’s Tamara Clark ran 21.95 to win while defending world champion Dina Asher-Smith ran a season’s best 21.96 for second.

Newly-crowned 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was also impressive in semi-final 3, running a season’s best 21.82 to win ahead of US champion Abby Steiner (22.15).

Dominican Republic Mixed Relay gold-medallist Alexander Ogando continued his brilliant world championships so far with a personal best and national record 19.91 to win semi-final 1 of the men’s 200m.

Trinidadian 2017 World Championship bronze medallist Jereem Richards of Trinidad & Tobago finished third in semi-final 2 in a brilliant 19.86 to advance to the final as a fastest loser. American defending champion Noah Lyles ran a brilliant 19.62 to win the race while Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek, also of the USA, ran a season’s best 19.84 for second.

In the women’s 400m hurdles, Jamaican champion Janieve Russell ran 54.42 to win heat 2 and advance to the semi-finals.

Panama’s Gianna Woodruff ran 55.21 to finish third in semi-final 3 and progress. Jamaica’s Shiann Salmon produced 54.01 in heat 4 to finish second and advance while her teammate, 2019 World Championship bronze medallist Rushell Clayton finished fourth in heat 5 in 54.99 to advance.

Jaheel Hyde ran a new personal best 48.03 for sixth in the men’s 400m hurdles final. Brazilian world leader Alison Dos Santos dominated to win gold in a championship record 46.29 while Americans Rai Benjamin (46.89) and Trevor Bassitt (47.39) were second and third.

World Championships 100m semi-finalist Kemba Nelson will be training with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce under the guidance of Reynaldo Walcott at Elite Performance come next season.

Polish Indoor champion Ewa Swoboda is looking forward to facing decorated Jamaica sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the Wanda Diamond League in August.

The duo has been booked to face off in the 100m, an event that the Jamaican has so far shown strong form in this season.  Fraser-Pryce has clocked the fastest time in the world so far this season, courtesy of a 10.67 clocking in Nairobi in May, which was equalled, in France, in June.

Swoboda, for her part, improved her personal best to 11.05 in Paris last month.

"I feel proud to have my name mentioned alongside Shelly-Ann's. She is an icon," Swoboda said.

"Each athlete dreams of achieving at least half of what Fraser-Pryce has and to stay at the top for this long,” she added.

"I hope it will be the best women's 100m race ever to take place on Polish soil. On 6 August I would like to finish as close to the legend as possible."

The two could, however, could also meet at the Oregon World Championships later this month, where Fraser-Pryce will be looking to defend her world title.

Shericka Jackson ran the third-fastest time in history to cap an outstanding campaign at Jamaica’s National Senior Athletics Championships on Sunday.