SATISFIED SHELLYFraser-Pryce gets philosophical about final World Champs participation

With Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce set to return to the track in two weeks, the Jamaican sprint legend says she’ll be satisfied with whatever the outcome at this year’s World Athletics Championships, having overcome the mental setback experienced during the Paris Olympics last year.

The multiple-time Olympic and World Champion will compete on European soil for the first time this season when she lines up in the 100m at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Budapest, Hungary, on August 12. It will be Fraser-Pryce’s first competitive outing since the National Senior Championships in June where she booked her spot to the World Championships in September, clocking a season’s best 10.91 seconds.

The five-time world 100m champion will be looking for yet another podium finish in what is expected to be her last-ever major championship.

Fraser-Pryce was unable to secure a medal at the Paris Games after having to withdraw from the 100m semi-finals. In a recent interview with French magazine Marie Claire, she explained that she “was probably having a panic attack”, which was triggered when her pre-race preparations were heavily disrupted after she was denied access through a gate at the stadium.

However, the 38-year-old says she’s been able to process her emotions after a lengthy mental battle.

“The fact that I was able to pick myself up from Paris and decide we’re doing another year in itself is a win because I was floored — Paris floored me. It kind of really messed me up because I had so many personal and professional challenges that I had to deal with,” Fraser-Pryce said on Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike.

“And then to walk away not being able to compete in Paris just added to that and it just made me feel like I was going to explode because maybe I should have walked away, maybe I shouldn’t have. You have all these conversations in your head where maybe I should have done something different. It took me a while to sit with myself and grieve what happened and then decide I’m doing another year.”

Fraser-Pryce says she’s in a better space and says 2025 is one of her most enjoyable seasons as an athlete.

“One of the things that I’m grateful for is, I made the decision to do another year because I didn’t feel that way last year,” she says. “I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to do, there was so many things happening that I never felt like I was focused on track in its entirety because I was so focused on the things that were happening.

“This year, there’s a sense of, ‘Yeah this is it,’ because I’ve enjoyed training — I always enjoy training, but this year on a different level. I was able to have more time with my family, going to the country for a day or two and really just enjoying this year.”

Fraser-Pryce says the coaching switch from Elite Performance Head Coach Reynaldo Walcott to Andre Wellington is bearing fruit.

“Another win is the fact that I changed my coach because at this age and stage, changing the wheel can be difficult because I’m used to something that I know works for me and I had to make a very difficult decision to do something different,” she says.

Fraser-Pryce, the third-fastest woman in history, with a personal best 10.60 seconds, will head to the Japanese capital in September as the most decorated athlete in the 100m field with five gold medals and one bronze, which she gained at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

Though she would love to end her career on a high with a sixth 100m title, Fraser-Pryce says she’ll be content regardless of the results.

“Four or five years ago, I would never tell anybody that the fact that I showed up to do another championships is a win,” she says. “Wins are usually hardware, something tangible but for me, I think just showing up after everything is really a win.

“Whichever way God decides it’s going to work, it’s going to work for me. I’m not afraid to take risks because ultimately my confidence comes from my faith because ultimately, I know that if something is going to happen, you’re not going to stop it — if I change coach you’re not going to stop it. If it’s meant to be, it’s going to find me.

“Those are wins for me and making the national team to go to the World Championships in Tokyo — that’s a big win that I’m deeply appreciative for because it doesn’t matter what happens in the second half, I’ve [already] won.”