After watching compatriot Usain Bolt regain his 100m world title inside the Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday, Jamaica’s, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce set about regaining her
After watching compatriot Usain Bolt regain his 100m world title inside the Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday, Jamaica’s, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce set about regaining her
title on Monday against a field that included four Americans – a first at the World Championships – similar to the Jamaicans in the male equivalent the day before.
Bolt had lost his title to a false start two years ago but Pryce would get the chance to take back the title from the person who had taken it from her, the USA’s Carmelita Jeter!
Pryce, whose nickname is ‘pocket-rocket’ and who also has a foundation by the same name, got her trade-mark bullet start and by the time she had completed her drive phase, the race was already won. So huge was the gap after 50 meters that it was just a matter of who would get the minor places.
English Gardner of the US, who is no slouch when it comes to starting, was also left in Fraser-Pryce’s wake but she held second place up to 70 meters before being passed by the fast finishing Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast who finished second and Jeter who had to settle for third.
Fraser-Pryce punched the air as she crossed the line and the look of determination on her face showed just how much it meant to her to once again be called – World Champion. She stopped the clock at a world leading 10.71, just .01 outside her personal best. The margin of victory, which would be described in local parlance as ‘donkey lengths’, was by far, the largest in history at the World Championships.
Ahoure crossed the line at 10.93 for her silver and the first World Championship medal for her country while Jeter’s bronze medal winning time was 10.94. Gardner and Jamaica’s Kerron Stewart were fourth and fifth respectively, both credited with the same time of 10.97 as the first five athletes in the race ran under 11 seconds.
Blessings Okagbare of Nigeria, who had shown so much early season promise, was clearly feeling the effects of the long jump in her legs and finished a disappointing 6th, while Alexandria Anderson and Octavious Freeman the two other Americans in the race were 7th and 8th respectively.
“I was just focused on getting that start, I knew I had to do that (start fast) to actually do well and when I crossed the line I didn’t know I was that far ahead. I was just completely in that zone and trying to do my best, I wasn’t focused on anybody else, said an elated Fraser-Pryce.
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