Jamaican sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is preparing to bring the curtain down on her legendary career, with her representative confirming plans for retirement following the 2025 track season.
The news was confirmed to NBC Sports last Thursday, shortly after Fraser-Pryce posted a minute-long highlight reel on Instagram that ended with the words “unfinished business.” The post, which included some of her most memorable victories, was captioned: “Time will honor your greatness – 2025.”
Though Fraser-Pryce herself didn’t explicitly announce her retirement, the video strongly hinted at it — and her rep’s confirmation makes it clear that next year will be her final lap around the global stage.
Earlier this year, the 38-year-old Kingston native said she had “one more year left” during a January interview with a Fox affiliate, following up on her 2023 statement that the Paris Olympics would be her last Games.
At Paris 2024, Fraser-Pryce advanced from the first round of the women’s 100m but withdrew before the semifinals without giving a public explanation. She later shared her disappointment on social media: “It is difficult for me to find the words to describe the depth of my disappointment… The support of my fans, my country and the larger community has rooted me in immense gratitude that has sustained me throughout my career.”
Fraser-Pryce made her global debut at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where she became the first Jamaican woman to win gold in the 100m. She defended her title at London 2012 and remains the only woman to win five world titles in the 100m — a feat made even more remarkable by the fact that two of those came after she became a mother in 2017.
In total, she holds seven combined Olympic and World Championship titles in the 100m — the most in history.
With the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo looming this September, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce looks set to make one final statement on the global stage.
