Fraser-Pryce leads Jamaica’s 100 sweep
EUGENE, Ore. — That mile-wide smile would come a split-second later. When Shelly-Ann FraserPryce saw her name come up first Sunday night in the 100-meter final, she pumped her right fist in the air twice and let out a loud scream toward the stands. Yep, she did it. Again. And shame on anyone who thought it was over for Jamaica’s most-celebrated 100-meter runner this side of Usain Bolt.
The 35-year-old mom sped her way back to the top of the sprint game, winning her fifth world title in the 100 — that’s two more than Bolt amassed during his decade of dominance — by leading a Jamaican sweep and knocking off the favorite, two-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah.
“I’m driven and I’m always hungry to do more because I believe there’s more to be done,” she said. “And I definitely believe I can run faster, and once I have that belief, I’m not going to stop until I do it.”
Running out of Lane 6, Fraser-Pryce led all the way on a gorgeous, 74-degree night in Oregon and finished in 10.67 seconds. She beat Shericka Jackson by 0.06 seconds while Thompson-Herah was a surprising third in 10.81.
And so, a night after the U.S. swept the podium in the men’s 100, Fraser-Pryce and Co., showed there remains plenty of speed down on the island.
The Jamaican sweep offered a brief break from what’s turning into quite an American show in the first worlds to be contested in the United States.
Just before the women’s 100, Grant Holloway and Trey Cunningham went 1-2 in the 110 hurdles. The race might have been a sweep were it not for a false start by Oregon receiver-hurdler Devon Allen, who entered the meet ranked second in the world.
Around that time, Ryan Crouser was putting the final touches on America’s 12-3 finish in the shot put. It was Crouser’s second straight world title to go with the win at last year’s Olympics. His rival, Joe Kovacs, finished second and teammate Josh Awotunde was third.
Also wrapping up at that time was the 1-2 finish by American pole vaulters Katie Nageotte, who adds this to her title in Tokyo last year, and Sandi Morris, who now has three silver medals from worlds.
Earlier in the day, Americans Brooke Andersen and Janee’ Kassanavoid won gold and bronze in the hammer throw. By the end of Day 3, the U.S. had 14 medals — 11 more than Jamaica and three other countries tied for second; and six golds, which was triple the total for secondplace Ethiopia.
One of Ethiopia’s golds came from Tamirat Tola in Sunday morning’s marathon. In the men’s 10,000, world-record holder Joshua Cheptegei of Kenya defended his world title in 27:27.43. The day’s other champion was Mykolas Alekena of Lithuania in the discus throw.