Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce turned back the hands of time in a most spectacular fashion in 2022, as she dominated women’s 100m sprinting in a manner which was never-ever witnessed before in the annals of track and field.
The outstandingly talented Fraser-Pryce not only copped her record-extending fifth 100m World Athletics Championships crown, but she also delivered a series of scintillating, fast-time sprinting which had never been seen before.
It culminated with her fifth Diamond League Trophy and a string of meet records to add the cherry on the top.
The 35-year-old mother had shown signs of durability and return to top form during the previous season with an eye-popping personal best 10.60 seconds, and a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games, but compatriot Elaine Thompson-Herah had appeared on a different level, having surpassed her as the fastest woman alive with a magnificent 10.54 seconds in late season.
But class is permanent, and one thing was already known – “Mommy Rocket” packed pure class.
She established an early world lead of 10.67 seconds in Nairobi, Kenya, but missed a few of the opening Diamond League meets. However, like fine wine, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce exhibited a string of performances never before seen from a sprinter of her age, beginning with victory in another 10.67 in a meeting record inside the Stade Charlety in Paris, France to open her 2022 Diamond League points tally in immaculate fashion.
From then on, she simply appeared to be in a league of her own, as she followed up with her fifth World Athletics Championships 100m gold medal with another 10.67 seconds clocking to lead a Jamaica clean sweep of the podium places in Eugene, Oregon in July.
Shericka Jackson snatched silver with Thompson-Herah taking the bronze medal.
Back on the Diamond League circuit in August, Fraser-Pryce improved on the world lead by smashing the Silesia meet record with a 10.66 second performance in Poland.
And there was more to come as by the time she visited Fontvieille, Monaco, in mid-August, Fraser-Pryce was literally flying and leaving the competition in her wake.
She booked her Diamond League final berth with another mouth-watering meet record and new world lead of 10.62 seconds.
There were high expectations for her in the Lausanne meet a week later, but a last-minute injury setback forced her out of the event and almost ended her season.
But as fate would have it the injury wasn’t as bad as first feared and she returned to action in Brussels but had to settle for second place heading into the Zurich Diamond finale.
In the finale she cruised to 10.65 seconds to claim her fifth Diamond trophy and culminate a season in which no one had ever ran as many 10.67 seconds and lower in any one season.
Truly a splendid season and one which will live long in the memory. The danger to her rivals. She plans on carrying on and even to attempt the world record of 10.49 seconds.
They should be afraid, very afraid.
