The Herald (Zimbabwe)

Fraser-Pryce second fastest woman

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KINGSTON. — Jamaica’s two- time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann FraserPryc­e has become the second-fastest woman in history after running 10,63 seconds in Kingston at the weekend.

The 34-year- old, who also won world gold at Doha 2019, streaked clear to win a national trials warm-up event in Kingston.

Only American legend Florence Griffith-Joyner has run faster.

Griffith-Joyner scorched to a world record 10.49 seconds in 1988 before retiring less than a year later.

Fraser-Pryce’s time eclipses the 10,72 seconds run by American Sha’Carri Richardson as the fastest time in the world this year. It is an improvemen­t of 0,07 seconds on her previous personal best of 10.70, set in 2012.

Fraser-Pryce, who took more than a year out of the sport around the birth of her son in 2017, admitted she surprised herself with her time.

“Honestly, no, I wasn’t coming out here to run that fast,” she said. “Thank God that I finish healthy.

“There was no pressure — I just wanted to get one more race in before the national trials.”

The result will increase the anticipati­on for the event at the Olympics in Tokyo this summer.

In addition to Fraser- Pryce and 21-year- old newcomer Richardson, Rio 2016 champion Elaine Thompson-Herah and Britain’s world silver medallist Dina Asher-Smith have also put in impressive performanc­es this season.

Fraser-Pryce will run at the Jamaican Championsh­ips later in June before setting her sights on the Tokyo 100m final on July 31.

American Trayvon Bromell cemented his credential­s as a leading contender for the men’s 100m Olympic title by running 9,77 seconds in Florida.

The 25-year- old becomes the seventh-fastest man in history, overtaking the likes of Olympic champions Donovan Bailey and Maurice Greene in the all-time list.

Bromell’s compatriot and 2019 world champion Christian Coleman will miss the Tokyo Games after being banned for missed drugs tests. — Sport

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