Two-time Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has targeted breaking the 10.70-second barrier as she goes for an unprecedented third Olympic title in Tokyo next year.
The 10.70 personal best that she set on June 29, 2012, still stands as the Jamaican national record but that she now shares with teammate and rival Elaine Thompson-Herah, who equaled the record in July 2016. Only three women have run faster – Florence Griffith-Joyner (10.49), Marion Jones (10.65) and Carmelita Jeter (10.64).
The three Americans have run faster but would give up those times to accomplish with the diminutive Jamaican had achieved over the past decade. However, she is desperate to join that pantheon of four.
Fraser-Pryce has won two Olympic gold medals, nine at the World Championships. She has also run faster than 10.80 seconds 15 times, more than any other woman in history, but that is not enough for the Pocket Rocket who is intent on building on her significant legacy as arguably the greatest ever female 100m sprinter.
“There is still breaking this ’10.70’ barrier. It is a big challenge for me and that’s one thing,” she said in a recent interview on the Olympic channel. “That’s the goal for next year.
“Yes, I want to stand on the podium for sure but I think also if I can run fast and do it, then yeah. I really want to run 10.6 or even 10.5 and I want to break the 22-second barrier for the 200m and run 21.”
Fraser-Pryce’s 200m best of 22.09 was set while winning the silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. (SportsMax)
