Jamaican sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a revered figure with three Olympic gold medals and 10 world championship titles to her name, announced her intention to retire after this year’s Paris Olympics in an interview released Thursday.
In her conversation with Essence magazine, Fraser-Pryce disclosed that she is making the decision to step away from the track at the age of 37 to prioritize spending more time with her family.
“My son needs me,” Fraser-Pryce expressed to the magazine. “My husband and I have been together since before my first Olympic win in 2008. He has made sacrifices for me, and we operate as a partnership, as a team. It’s because of his unwavering support that I’ve been able to achieve what I have over the years. Now, I feel it’s time to give back and focus on them.”
As she gears up for her final Olympic campaign in France, Fraser-Pryce is channeling her energy towards achieving one last shot at Olympic glory. For her, this journey is about both “pushing boundaries” and demonstrating that one can choose when to conclude their career.
“I want to end my career on my own terms,” Fraser-Pryce emphasized.
Throughout her illustrious career, Fraser-Pryce has amassed an impressive collection of eight Olympic medals, highlighted by her 100-meter gold triumphs at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games, as well as a Tokyo Olympics victory as part of Jamaica’s 4×100 relay team.
Her medal tally also includes silver in the 100m in Tokyo and the 200m in London, along with a bronze in the Rio 100m event in 2016.
Fraser-Pryce’s dominance extends to the world championships, where she has clinched 100m titles in 2009, 2013, 2015, 2019, and 2022, in addition to a 200m world crown in 2013 and 4×100 relay golds in 2009, 2013, 2015, and 2019.
Reflecting on her journey, Fraser-Pryce affirmed, “There hasn’t been a single day when I’ve woken up for training and felt like I’m done with this. Running has been my passion, my love.”
