Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce "owes it to her family" to retire after Paris 2024
The Jamaican sprint queen and three-time Olympic champion confirms she is to bow out after the Games in France to spend more time with her family.
Athletics
"Looks like I’m not gonna be the only Pryce blazing down the track," posted Jamaican uber sprint legend and eight-time Olympic medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in November while at a karting track watching son, Zyon.
It is these precious moments with her family that the 37-year-old wants to enjoy more, confirming her official retirement in an interview with Essence.com in February. But not until after Paris 2024, thankfully, so Olympic fans will be able to celebrate the Jamaican go out with a well-deserved final bow.
“My son needs me,” says Fraser-Pryce in the interview, of the decision she's made despite still being passionate about athletics. “My husband (Jason) and I have been together since before I won in (Beijing) 2008. He has sacrificed for me. We’re a partnership, a team. And it’s because of that support that I’m able to do the things that I have been doing for all these years. And I think I now owe it to them to do something else.”
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What's next for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce?
That 'something else' to which she refers includes building on her legacy away from the track on which she works equally hard, mainly helping underprivileged kids – like she was, running to school barefoot – benefit from her success.
The Pocket Rocket Foundation, which she set up in 2012, "exists to enrich the lives of student-athletes by supporting their educational development and fostering sustainable community-building initiatives to enhance the lives of students and their families".
This includes scholarships given out to young Jamaicans to cover tuition, books, uniforms, travel, and lunch money.
Annual renewals of scholarships are based on academic performance with Fraser-Pryce keen to ensure a balance between sports and education for each student-athlete because “a solid education must never be compromised by athletic involvement and competition,” says the foundation's website.
“You can have an impact, and it’s important to show people that you can’t be selfish,” she says. “It’s not enough that we step on a track and we win medals. You have to think about the next generation that’s coming after you and give them the opportunity to also dream—and dream big.”
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Olympic icon
Fraser-Pryce's own dreams have come true, and then some, especially her Olympic hopes. The first goal came to fruition at Beijing 2008, where the then 21-year-old burst onto the scene, becoming the first Caribbean woman to win Olympic gold in the 100m.
She also learned an important lesson that would stay with her.
“I undervalued myself going into Beijing,” she recalls. “I just wanted to make the finals. But when I crossed the line in first place, from that moment, I’ve never undervalued myself. I’m not just here for participation. I’m here to win.”
Four years later at London 2012, she was just the third woman in history to defend an Olympic 100m title.
Bronze was secured at Rio 2016, where even an injury-affected season couldn't stop a determined Fraser-Pryce from making an Olympic podium.
Just pipped to the post by teammate Elaine Thompson-Herah at Tokyo 2020, in an Olympic record time of 10.61s, Fraser-Pryce claimed silver (10.74s) with the Jamaicans claiming a 1-2-3 courtesy of Shericka Jackson in third (10.76s).
If selected by her National Olympic Committee for the XXXIII Olympiad, Fraser-Pryce would be appearing at her fifth Olympic Summer Games, and no doubt hoping – along with legions of fans worldwide – to add to her on-track legacy of three gold, four silver and one bronze, won in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay events.
Parents at her son's school, meanwhile, will be hopeful that after Fraser-Pryce dials down her Olympic training regime following the Games in France, she might not be on quite such good form at her son's next School Sports Day.
In April, the 10-time world champion, took off like a, well a rocket, to beat all the other parents of five-year-olds in the race. She didn't even take it easy. That competitive edge will no doubt forever remain.