Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the champion Jamaican sprinter, has announced that she will retire following next month’s world championships in Tokyo, having redefined the possibilities for women in sport.
The three-time Olympic and ten-time world gold medallist indicated she would compete for one more season in 2025, citing unfinished business after withdrawing from the 100 metres final at last year’s Paris Olympics due to injury.
“I didn’t get the opportunity to do what I know I could have done in that moment,” the 38-year-old Fraser-Pryce said during a video call with reporters. “It was hurtful; it was the first time in my career that I couldn’t step to the line to compete.”
Despite limited races this season, the “Pocket Rocket” qualified for her ninth world championships by finishing third at the Jamaican trials in the 100m.
Fraser-Pryce described the upcoming championships as a “full-circle moment,” reflecting on her journey since her first world championships in Osaka in 2007.
“Fast forward to being here now, confident in who I am, the woman I am, the mother I am, the athlete I am, it’s just such a remarkable feeling,” she remarked.
Motherhood has transformed Fraser-Pryce’s career, as she shattered stereotypes about pregnancy in sport by winning the 100m at the 2019 worlds and retaining the title in 2022.
“My son is my biggest motivation. For women, it shows that our dreams don’t end when we become mothers. If anything, children add value to our dreams and goals,” she stated.
Although she holds the record for five consecutive world titles in the 100 metres, Fraser-Pryce aims to continue empowering women and youth through her work with the Pocket Rocket Foundation and other ventures post-retirement.
