Fraser-Pryce to officially make season debut at Saturday’s Velocity Fest
Following her 100m sports day blowout run last week, sprinting legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will officially make her seasonal debut at the Velocity Fest 17 meet at the National Stadium on Saturday.
The 38-year-old Fraser-Pryce, who was captured in a viral video dismantling other parents at her son’s sports day last Wednesday, will line up against more familiar foes in the heat one of the 100m at the Velocity Fest meet.
The Nike athlete will face the likes of Natasha Morrison and Shockoria Wallace of MVP; Shaniqua Bascome of Trinidad and Tobago, and Jura Levy of Swept Track club.
Fraser-Pryce, who had humorously promised to “drop out” bellies at the parents race, has not competed since pulling out of the semi-final at the 2024 Olympic Games in France. She was second in her first round in 10.91 and it remains a mystery why she never turned up for the semi-final the following day.
Fraser-Pryce has a best time of 10.60 which makes her the third-fastest in history behind world record holder Florence Griffiths Joyner (10.49) and fellow Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah (10.54).
Local fans and the eyes of the world will be focussed on Saturday to see what kind of condition Fraser-Pryce will turn up in, despite not expected to be at full blast.
Fraser-Pryce, known as the Pocket Rocket, is arguably the greatest sprinter of all time, capturing two Olympic 100m titles in 2008 and 2012, only the third woman to defend her crown. She is the only sprinter, male or female, to win five World Championship 100m titles, which she did in 2009, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2022.
Fraser-Pryce has won more individual global sprint titles than any other female sprinter in history and is the most decorated 100m sprinter of all time.