Jamaican sprinting legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is a winner through and through, she even takes sports day races seriously.
The Olympic star went viral in April 2023 when she unsurprisingly left the other parents in her wake in a sports day race.
Speaking on the moment, mother-of-one Fraser-Pryce revealed her ruthlessness was actually fuelled by a challenge from another parent.
“Two weeks beforehand she [my mum] started sending me photos of her working out in the gym. And then she told me she was coming for me,” Fraser-Pryce explained as quoted by The Guardian.
“I was like, ‘You can’t be serious girl!’ And when we got to sports day, she even started giving me the eyes, trying to psych me out.”
Fraser-Pryce also admitted that she was spurred on by the fact her husband had only managed a fourth place finish in the dad’s race and her son Zyon fell during his event.
Whilst Zyon did manage third in an obstacle race, it wasn’t enough for the three-time Olympic gold medallist.
“Imagine leaving with a bronze medal and a fourth place. It wouldn’t have looked good. So I just had to show up. I had to preserve my name,” Fraser-Pryce said.
The 38-year-old is one of the most decorated athletes in history, amassing three Olympic golds – two of which came in the 100m sprint – in Beijing 2008, London 2012 and a relay gold at Tokyo 2020.
The Paris 2024 Games – which she announced would be her last – did not go as anticipated, however.
Despite finishing second in her heat for the 100m, she withdrew from the semi-final after picking up an injury in the warm-up.
Speculation arose online after a video emerged of her not being allowed into the training area, delaying her entry.
GettyFraser-Pryce also won 100m gold at the 2019 World Championship[/caption]
She vocally criticised the rule change cited by the officials, reducing her warm-up time on the track.
At World Championships, she has won 10 golds, five silvers and a bronze medal. Consequently, she holds more individual world titles than any other female sprinter in history.
Across 100m, she holds a personal best of 10.6 seconds, which makes her the third fastest woman in history.
In 2014 she became the first female athlete ever to hold world titles in four sprint events simultaneously; 60m, 100m, 200m and 4 x100m relay.
talkSPORT’s Ade Oladipo named her the greatest female sprinter of all time and the fourth greatest overall female athlete.
Only footballer Marta, gymnast Simone Biles and tennis player Serena Williams were ahead of her.
