Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to represent Jamaica for final time at Olympics

07/08/2024 05:07 PM

The triple Olympic and ten-time world champion spearheads a 66-strong Jamaican team in Paris

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will bid farewell to the Olympics this summer as she races in her fifth consecutive and last Games.

The triple Olympic and ten-time world champion will represent Jamaica in the 100m. She has two Olympic 100m titles (Beijing 2008 and London 2012) to her name and has also claimed an astonishing five world gold medals over the distance.

Fraser-Pryce, who opened her campaign last month and has a season’s best of 10.94, will also be part of the 4x100m squad at the Olympics and will be hoping to retain the crown that Jamaica won three years ago.

The 37-year-old has medalled in every single Olympics, from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 to Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

She will be joined over 100m in Paris by Shericka Jackson and Tia Clayton.

Jackson is of course the double world 200m champion and fastest woman alive around half a lap. After a surprising start to the season – her season bests in the 100m and 200m by the end of May were just 11.03 and 22.97 – she bounced back at the Jamaican trials.

The 29-year-old clocked a stunning 10.84 to win the 100m and two days later came back to claim victory in the 200m with 22.29.

Clayton is just 19 and is one of Jamaica’s many prodigious sprinting talents in the sport.

The teenager finished second to Jackson in her country’s 100m final at the trials and clocked 10.90. In the semi-finals, she recorded an incredible personal best of 10.86.

On the men’s side, Jamaica boasts three young sprinting superstars.

Kishane Thompson stormed to a sensational win at the trials with a world-leading 9.77, establishing himself as a contender for the Olympic gold medal in Paris.

One man who might have something to say about that is Oblique Seville, who wasn’t too far behind Thompson in Kingston with a personal best of 9.82.

The third man selected for the 100m is Ackeem Blake, and with a personal best of 9.92, he could get a medal in the French capital.

In the 100m hurdles, double world champion Danielle Williams will be hopeful of adding an Olympic gold medal to her collection.

Hansle Parchment did just that over 110m hurdles in Tokyo but he will have a tough test against the likes of Grant Holloway and also compatriot Rasheed Broadbell.

Even though Jamaica is famous for its sprinting, a bundle of talent lies elsewhere in the team.

Watch out for Jaydon Hibbert in the triple jump. The teenager is the world U20 record-holder and has a personal best of 17.87m. He is also the world U20 champion and won the Olympic trials in 17.75m.

Another athlete to look out for is world indoor long jump bronze medallist Carey McLeod. He claimed victory at the trials in Kingston and beat both world silver medallist Wayne Pinnock and 2019 world champion Tajay Gayle, with a best jump of 8.38m.

The final one to mention is Shaneika Ricketts. With world triple jump record-holder Yulimar Rojas out of the Olympics, Ricketts goes into Paris as one of the favourites for the gold medal. The double world silver medallists boasts a personal best of 15.03m and just missed out on an Olympic medal in Tokyo after finishing fourth.

For only the second time since the 1948 Games in London, Jamaica will not field a men’s 4x400m team.

Women

100m: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and Tia Clayton

200m: Shericka Jackson, Niesha Burgher and Lanae-Tava Thomas

400m: Junelle Bromfield, Stacey-Ann Williams and Nickisha Pryce

800m: Natoya Goule-Toppin and Adelle Tracey

1500m: Adelle Tracey

100m hurdles: Janeek Brown, Ackera Nugent and Danielle Williams

400m hurdles: Rushell Clayton, Shiann Salmon and Janieve Russell

Long Jump: Chanice Porter and Ackelia Smith

High jump: Lamara Distin

Triple jump: Shanieka Ricketts, Ackelia Smith and Kimberly Williams

Discus throw: Samantha Hall

Shot put: Lloydricia Cameron and Danniel Thomas-Dodd

Hammer throw: Nayoka Clunis

4x100m Relay: Tia Clayton, Shashalee Forbes, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and Alana Reid (reserve)

4x400m Relay: Junelle Bromfield, Stephenie-Ann McPherson, Nickisha Pryce, Stacey-Ann Williams and Ashley Williams (reserve)

Mixed 4x400m Relay: Andrenette Knight, Charokee Young and Stephenie-Ann McPherson

Men

100m: Ackeem Blake, Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville

200m: Andrew Hudson and Bryan Levell

400m: Sean Bailey, Deandre Watkin and Jevaughn Powell

800m: Navasky Anderson

100m hurdles: Orlando Bennett, Rasheed Broadbell and Hansle Parchment

400m hurdles: Roshawn Clarke, Jaheel Hyde and Malik James-King

Long Jump: Tajay Gayle, Carey McLeod and Wayne Pinnock

Triple jump: Jaydon Hibbert and Jordan Scott

High jump: Romaine Beckford

Discus throw: Roje Stona, Ralford Mullings and Traves Smikle

Shot put: Rajindra Campbell

4x100m Relay: Ackeem Blake, Jehlani Gordon, Oblique Seville, Kishane Thompson and Jelani Walker (reserve)

Mixed 4x400m Relay: Zandrian Barnes, Raheem Hayles and Kimar Farquharson (reserve)

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