It may not have happened in 2022 but five-time World 100 metres champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce says that she is still aiming to get to her goal of a sub-10.6-second clocking after a season in which she has registered multiple sub-10.7 times.
Fraser-Pryce completed her campaign by capturing her fifth Diamond League 100m title at the Diamond League final in Zürich, clocking 10.65 for victory ahead of World 200m champion and 200m Diamond League winner Shericka Jackson who posted 10.81 and Marie-Josee Ta Lou who was third in 10.91.
In a season where all her times have been sub-11 seconds, Fraser-Pryce has clocked seven sub-10.7 times starting from the 10.67 clocking in her first 100m race of the season in May. The level of consistency this year has pleased her but she says it has also fuelled her desire to break another barrier, going sub 10.6 which she is targeting for next year.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (centre) of Jamaica crosses the finish line to win the women’s 100 metres at the Diamond League finals in Zürich, Switzerland, September 8. Fraser-Pryce won in 10.65 seconds.Photo: PA
“I’ve always believed that I can run 10.6 and I’ve always believed that I can run 10.5. And as long as I have that self-belief, as long as I continue to work and trust that it’s out there and there is something special that is coming, then I am going to continue working towards it until the wheels fall off,” Fraser-Pryce said after her 100m race. “To be able to end the season with a 10.6 is really special. I didn’t get the 10.5 but next year is another year.”
SUCCESSFUL END
While it was a successful end to her season, she acknowledged that the result could have been much different.
Fraser-Pryce pulled out of the much-anticipated clash between herself, Jackson and double sprint Olympic champion Elaine Thompson Herah at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne three weeks ago citing discomfort in her hamstring. The problem resulted in her contemplating ending her season after but she proceeded to compete in Brussels last week, the penultimate meet of the Diamond League campaign.
Fraser-Pryce said that she was grateful to be able to make a strong return after the withdrawal and finished the season the way she wanted to despite the adversity.
“I have to give God thanks. Because in Lausanne, I really had a scare and it was kind of hard mentally to really work back from that and to get back into that groove. But I am glad that was able to come back to do it and finish strong,” Fraser-Pryce said. “Because sometimes it’s easy to run away. It’s easy to fold your tail and go away when things are not working the way you wanted them to. But I am glad that I was able to stick this out.”
In addition to targeting a 10.5 clocking, Fraser-Pryce will have an opportunity to win three straight World 100m titles at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, having earned a wild card for the championships as the defending champion.
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