SHELLY READY FOR LIFT OFF.

If there was any doubt about who will most likely be 100m women’s world champion this summer in Moscow, Shelly Ann Frazer-Pryce put it to rest after her stirring 10.93 run in Shanghai on Saturday. The pocket rocket, who is yet to lose this season on the international circuit following two 200-metre wins and Saturday’s impressive run, has made it known that she intends to dominate women’s sprinting this year. And with the fastest woman of this era, Carmelita Jeter going down with injury and notwithstanding the presence of a slimmed down Veronica Campbell Brown, there may be no one who will stand in SAFP’s way this year.

Since 2008, Frazer-Pryce has won two Olympic 100-metre titles, an Olympic silver in the 200 metres as well as the World title back in 2009. That resume already makes her one of the most special female sprinters in history. Her times in those gold medal runs 10.78, 10.73 and 10.70, puts her in an even more unique category. Except for 2011, when injury saw her finishing fourth in the 100m in Daegu, Frazer-Pryce has demonstrated that she is hard to beat at major championships. From this point on, she may be telling the world of female sprinters that  if they are not ready to produce 10.6s, she will be invincible.

There were signs early this season that the Pocket Rocket was in line to have perhaps her most dominant season. With school and her injuries behind her, the tiny Wolmerian is beginning to impose her giant will on the world of track and field. Since her success in London last year when she won a close battle over Jeter (10.78) and Veronica Campbell Brown (10.81), the recent Utech graduate has began to blossom. She is no longer the child that in 2008 many Jamaicans felt should have given up her place to allow her more seasoned countrywoman to compete in Beijing, she is now a woman of means and a woman of great confidence. The world saw that on Saturday.

Over the last couple of seasons, Frazer-Pryce has added the 200m to her repertoire and in doing so has gradually improved her speed endurance for the 100m.  We have seen her times steadily come down to the point where she can deliver 10.70s in an Olympic 100m final. The bad news for her rivals is that this season she seems to be better than ever. After cruising to a 22.38s run in Kingston at the Jamaica International Invitational (JII), the third fastest time in the world this year, SAFP ran a pedestrian but slightly windy 22.48s in Doha just over a week ago. Both races were less than perfect in execution but what was evident was that she had a lot left in the tank and would have produced better times with better execution.

Opening her 100m season with a 10.93s in less than ideal sprinting conditions and in negligible wind, sends an ominous message. It says the Pocket Rocket is about to launch and everyone in her wake is about to get burnt.

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23 Responses to “SHELLY READY FOR LIFT OFF.”

  1. dallo says:

    True tings writer. Woulda really luv see Shelly bust out a 10.6 and a 21.

    I see Ahoure as her danger in the 100 and in the 200 it’s VCB and Alyson of course.

  2. Barbara Book says:

    Write ON.

    Definitely want to see her run the 100M in the 10.60′s THIS YEAR!

    That Nigerian woman name Blessing didn’t look too bad finishing ahead of the American Jeter.

  3. Thatiam says:

    Yes. Blessing from Nigeria is a formidable threat not so much shore.
    Felix must be frightened somewhere of The rockete as VCB looks to defend her 200m world gold.

  4. Thatiam says:

    Yes. Blessing from Nigeria is a formidable threat not so much Ahore
    Felix must be frightened somewhere of The rocket as VCB looks to defend her 200m world gold.

  5. DV says:

    This is the real deal. Now that she is adding endurance, thru 200′s, to that amazing start which she has, SAFP will be hard to handle. Hope she continues unhurt thru the Worlds in August. Making Wolmers and Yard very proud…age quad agis..

  6. donmanj says:

    If Shelly is to clock in the 10.6 range, she needs Jeter and or VCB to push her. Currently, Jeter is injured, lets hope she is fully recovered for the Worlds. My prediction is that Shelly will take the DOUBLE at Worlds (a cool $100000US!

  7. enquiring mind says:

    Was any fact checking done?

    Despite what the article claims, S-AF-P did not run her PB (and National Record) 10.70 in one of her “golden runs”; she ran it at last year’s Jamaica National Senior Championships.

    Her running in the 200m is not, as the article claimed, what has lead to her running 10.70s in an Olympic final; First of all her time was 10.75 in the Olympic final. Second, she was running 10.70′s in the 2008 final (10.78 to be exact) long before taking up the 200m seriously.

    No one to stand in S-AF-P’s way in 2013? Really? I notice that no mention was made of Alyson Felix who easily beat her in the 2012 Olympic 200m Final. Ignore her at your peril.

    We all want S-AF-P to win but (none more so that I) let’s at least get our facts straight and not get carried away.

  8. levyl says:

    Corrections noted. However, the point made about no one standing in her way still stands. Based on her progression she can defeat Felix over 200m and I stand by that assertion. The 10.70 at the national champions was due – by her own admission – improved speed endurance which came when she started running the 200m. Also, as she alluded to after the Olympic final, she ran a poor race and still ran 10.75s, which again comes back to her improved speed endurance.

  9. tami says:

    Yes felix ran a good time last year, who knows what she will do this year, and don’t forget VCB whenever she is healthy Felix cannot touch her. also note Shellyann recently taking the 200m seriously, and once she gets it right she will be dangerous.

  10. Janet says:

    I agree that SAFP has improved but unless she is able to run lower than 22.00 I don’t see her beating Felix. Remember Felix ran 21.88 last year a mark which will take SAFP some time to get to.

  11. Thatiam says:

    Who said no mention was made of Felix? Read the earlier comments that Felix must be terrified somewhere of The Pockect Rocket. Felix is aging while SAFP is still young.

  12. starapple says:

    Provided she stays healthy, she could,indeed, be very dominant this year in the 100m, as she has looked very good. However,it’s a bit too early to tell. Let’s not count out Ahore, Okabare or VCB. Also, for SFP to beat Felix, she must dip down into the 21′s. She will not beat Felix running anywhere in the 22′s.

  13. enquiring mind says:

    Thatiam, no mention was made of Felix in the article. I was responding to the article itself, not your comments on it.

    Since you mentioned your comments; “Felix is aging while SAFP is still young.” is pure hyperbole. Felix is ONE year older than S-AF-P, and unless S-AF-P has discovered the fountain of youth she too is ageing, just as quickly as Felix is, one day at a time. And right now Felix is 0.40s quicker in the 200m than S-AF-P, both having set PB’s last year.

    As I mentioned before, I very much want S-AF-P to win the double this year in Moscow but I don’t go overboard and try to change facts.

  14. Barbara Book says:

    Enquiring mind, I am with you on this one…To write off Felix (the 3 time gold medal winner in London 2012,) in the 200M is ridiculous.

    She won’t go down without a fight!

  15. s gordon says:

    your dam right about felix not going down without a fight. if vcb is able to start well and stay with the pack up to the 50m mark, there is one to beat her, she has a very powerful finish,how ever she always seem to be coming from behind to win.

  16. s gordon says:

    I meantno one to beat her.

  17. Thatiam says:

    VCB is not Felix threat? SAFP is without a doubt. Felix can fight all she want , she is definitely going down. She wasn’t even the runner up at the last world champs. She got bronx( Felix).

  18. Polly Brown says:

    Stop underestimateing VCB n Felix. They are already running good times already. Shelly lacks the experience that these two ladies has, and they are not about to give up without a good fight. It’s all about running the rounds and executeing in the final.

  19. dallo says:

    In each of the 5 times VCB n Alyson have met in these championships , the likely winner was always apparent by the time the meets approa-
    ched. Take for instance , in ’09 VCB had a toe problem going in , Alyson won; in ’11 VCB ran 21.98 in NY n looked good going in , she won; last year Alyson ran 21.69 in USA trials and looked the best bet and she won in London.

    These early bets are really just hopes and are somewhat groundless. We need to wait and see.

  20. dallo says:

    With SAFP , again we’re hoping she’s gonna be stepping up into the 21′s since it appears that’s what it’s gonna take to win. We know VCB and Alyson are capable of something in the 21.6 – 21.7 region.

    We’ll have to wait n see how the thing develop as we approach Moscow. At this moment noone can tell me they know this and they know that.

  21. Raoul says:

    Still see VCB as he best 200m runner and though Shelly ran 10.71 at the prefontaine classic VCB ran 10.78 and was closing fast so in a 200m I would expect VCB to reign … The 100m Shelly will reign until VCB learn to start or not get left in the blocks

  22. Nick says:

    Shelly is looking in spanking form. Praying for health for her so that she can get the double. VCB is my girl but you must admit Shelly is looking great and I am loving it.. She seems hungry and it will all come down to who wants it most on the day but for now Shelly wants both.

  23. Thatiam says:

    It took a lesser opponent like Muriel Ahore from the Ivory Coast to give tired Felix a whipping in the Rome 200m diamond league. What have I been telling y’all?

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23 comments so far
levyl Posted by: levyl May 18, 2013 at 8:42 am