Hot pink-haired Jamaican scorches field in ‘Bolt-esque’ fashion
MOSCOW — The U.S.-Jamaican sprint rivalry is turning into a rout at the world championships.
With her long hot-pink hair slashing in the air behind her, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce captured the 100 metres Monday with a winning margin of Boltesque proportions.
Fraser-Pryce sped to an early lead that kept growing and finished in a world-leading 10.71 seconds. She even had time to clench and pump her fist as she crossed the line.
Silver medallist Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast trailed by a massive 0.22 seconds, more than double the previous top margin in 30 years of world championships. Defending champion Carmelita Jeter of the United States took the bronze in 10.94.
Like the mighty Usain Bolt, who won the 100 on Sunday, Fraser-Pryce now has two Olympic and two world titles in the 100 at the same age of 26.
“I am Shelly-Ann FraserPryce. I compare myself to nobody,” the Jamaican said. “What Usain has, he has. What I have is hard work.”
What Bolt certainly doesn’t have is hair extensions sent over from a Jamaican hairdresser: “It makes me pretty — prettier.”
Brianne Theisen Eaton, a native of Humboldt, Sask., was fourth Monday following the first day of the heptathlon. She trailed leader Ganna Melnichenko of Ukraine by 102 points and was just 26 points behind American Sharon Day, who was third.
Also on Monday, Alex Genest of Lac-aux-Sables, Que., and Matthew Hughes of Oshawa, Ont., both advanced to the 3,000-metre steeplechase final.
Hughes set a personal-best time of 8:16.93 to finish second in his heat. Genest was disqualified from his heat for lane infringement after posting a time of 8:24.56. Athletics Canada launched an appeal and Genest was reinstated and advanced to the final.