Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce says she is eager to see where she stands in her preparations at the Doha, Qatar leg of the Jetour Diamond League today.

She is one of four Jamaicans competing in the women’s 100m. Fraser-Pryce, who competed for Jamaica in the women’s 4x100m relays at the World Athletics Relay Games in China last weekend, says she is looking to regain her edge in the event.

“The last two years I’ve raced sparingly, so I really want to get back into that race sharpness. I really want to get back into some competitive races,” she said in a press conference in Doha on Thursday.

One of the most decorated sprinters of all times, Fraser-Pryce said, “I really just kind of know where I’m at and how training has been going. Training has been fantastic, by far. This has been the best year I’ve had in terms of training in the last three years. So I’m really looking forward to seeing the execution, and really just working on putting the race together tomorrow.

“I think tomorrow is going to be special. And I’m really excited about that just but, you know, excited to have that competitive, competitive drive, because again, the last two years, I have not raced much, and even though you’re doing track for such a long time, you still need to be practising your craft, and the best way to do that is to show up in races.”

Fraser-Pryce, 38, says recovery rather than constant training has made the difference for her so far this season.

“I think the difference in training really has been just recovery,’ she said. “I think that’s been the difference, being able to say, ‘Okay, then, we’re going to train today, or we’re not going to train on Tuesday, we’re going to train Wednesday’, and it’s tailored towards that, to make sure that I have enough time to really recover.”

The short time between the seasons post-COVID-19 did not help. “Ultimately, yes, you want to work hard, but want to work smart, and it’s a long season, and I think that has been the privilege for me,” Fraser-Pryce said. “It’s a longer season, so days when I’m not feeling well, or I think I need some some time off, I’m able to get that time off and I’m able to go again. And I think that has been the plus for me, is making sure that it wasn’t crunch time, because in Budapest 2023, I hurt my hamstring on the back stretch of the relay, and that took some time for me to come back, because the Olympics was very early. So I was, you know, forced in a box to really get back to practise, which for me, ideally wouldn’t have been how I wanted it, but that was the situation. So, I think for me, having the time to train, and days when you say, okay, then, things aren’t feeling so good. So, you need to step back a bit and then go again.”

Today, Fraser-Pryce who has run the most sub-11.00 seconds will be joined by the Clayton twins, Tina and Tia, as well as Natasha Morrison as they take on New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs, and Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji.

Olympic Games bronze medallist Rasheed Broadbell will contest the 110m hurdles where he will race against Americans Jamal Britt and Daniel Roberts, and also Spain’s Enrique Llopis.

Malik James-King goes into the men’s 400m hurdles with the fastest time in the field, 48.69 seconds, and faces off against American CJ Allen, and Sweden’s Carl Bengtstrom, while national record holder Adelle Tracey will contest the women’s 1500m.

World Indoor Championship bronze medallist Raymond Richards, and Romaine Beckford take on a strong field in the men’s high jump. It includes Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar, Hamish Kerr of New Zealand, Donald Thomas of the Bahamas, American Shelby McEwen, and Japan’s Ryoichi Akamatsu.

Fedrick Dacres is also in a strong line-up in the men’s discus throw that will be led by Australia’s Matthew Denny, who has thrown 74.78m already this season, and American Sam Mattis (season’s best 71.27m), Germany’s Clemens Prufer (71.01m), Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh, and Sweden’s Daniel Stahl.

World and Olympic silver medallist Shaniela Ricketts will contest the women’s triple jump where she takes on Thea Lafond of Dominica, Ilionis Guillaume of France, and Dovile Kilty of Lithuania.

Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts competes in the triple jump women’s final event of the Oslo Diamond League competition in Oslo, Norway, on June 15, 2023. (Photo: AFP)