Jamaican sprinter darling Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on Saturday became the second-fastest woman of all time behind 100m world record holder Florence Griffith-Joyner when she clocked 10.63 seconds at a meet in Kingston.
Two-time Olympic champion Fraser-Pryce, who laid down a marker ahead of next month’s Tokyo Olympics with her searing sprint, said that her speed had even taken her by surprise.
“Honestly no ... I never expected I would run 10.6 and think it’s a good thing because there was no pressure,” Fraser-Pryce told reporters.
Photo: Reuters
“I just wanted to get one run in before the [June 24 to 27] national championships,” she added.
The US’ Griffith-Joyner still holds the women’s 100m world record of 10.49 seconds, set in Indianapolis in 1988, as well as the three fastest times ever, with 10.61 and 10.62, also in 1988.
However, Fraser-Pryce shaved 0.01 seconds off Carmelita Jeter’s 10.64 set in 2009 to climb behind Griffith-Joyner on the all-time list.
Photo: Reuters
Running in an empty stadium in Kingston at the JOA/JAAA’s Destiny Series, she decimated the field in the first of three heats from a rocket start, to finish ahead of former world championship finalist Natasha Morrison.
Fraser-Pryce, the reigning world champion after winning gold in Doha in 2019, said she had already set her sights on her next target.
“I’m lost for words because 10.6 has been a dream, a goal, I’ve been working so hard, being so patient to see it finally unfold. I’m so ecstatic,” said the 34-year-old, who set her previous personal best of 10.70 seconds nine years ago.
MO FARAH
Britain’s four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah is in danger of missing out on the Tokyo Games after falling short of the 10,000m qualifying mark at a meet in Birmingham, England, on Saturday.
The 38-year-old finished eighth in the European 10,000m Cup with a time of 27 minutes, 50.54 seconds — 22 seconds short of the required time to make the Team GB squad heading to Tokyo next month.
Farah, who won back-to-back 5,000m and 10,000m golds at the two previous Games, has until June 27 to make the required time of 27:28.
The Briton appeared to turn his back on track racing to focus on marathon running after the 2016 Olympics in Rio, but he announced in late 2019 that he aimed to defend his 10,000m title in the 2020 Tokyo Games that were postponed to this year due to COVID-19.
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