Fraser-Pryce looks to maintain top form

Cautiously optimistic about her progress from a hamstring issue, five-time World 100 metres champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce hopes to continue a season of fine form when she competes in the Memorial Van Damme Meet, the penultimate Diamond League series of the season this afternoon in Brussels, Belgium.

Fraser-Pryce will line up in the women’s 100m at 1:45 p.m. Jamaica time alongside World 200m champion Shericka Jackson and American Sha’Carri Richardson, who competed and won her first race in two months at the Spitzen Leichtathletik Meet in Lucerne, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Richardson clocked 11.29 to beat double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson Herah (11.30) on a wet track in Lucerne.

Fraser-Pryce withdrew from her last Diamond League meet in Lausanne last Friday, a scheduled clash between herself, Jackson and Thompson Herah, as a precaution after citing discomfort in her hamstring.

In her pre-race press conference yesterday, an upbeat Fraser-Pryce says that she has been able to do sprint work after remaining in Switzerland for treatment,

“I was in Bellinzona (Swiss town) and I got some treatment for a couple of days, and the last two days have been very optimistic. I was able to sprint and I am looking forward to going back to practice (yesterday). But I think it should work out well. It’s not 100 per cent but, again, I am optimistic,” Fraser-Pryce said.

Fraser-Pryce ran three races in the space of four days from August 6 to 8 since going on the European circuit, running 10.6 times in each. Her withdrawal and Thompson Herah’s false start left Jackson alone to face the starter in Lausanne. Jackson finished second behind America Aleia Hobbs, who will also feature in today’s race. While she had considered ending her season after the Lausanne withdrawal, Fraser-Pryce said that it was important that she did not waste the work which has contributed to her form this season.

“That is why I’m here at this meet, to see where I’m at. If all works well I may still choose to do another race because, mentally, I am at this place where I have done the background work and I feel so good. I felt good leading up to Lausanne and I didn’t want to waste that,” Fraser-Pryce said.

All of Fraser-Pryce’s races have resulted in sub-11-second clockings, with six of them being in the 10.6 range, clocking 10.62 in Monaco on August 8.

Fraser-Pryce heads six Jamaican women who will compete at the meet. World Championships silver medalist Britany Anderson and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Megan Tapper will line up in the women’s 100m hurdles, facing Tokyo Olympic Games champion Jasmine Camacho Quinn at 2:07 p.m. Anderson finished fifth in her first race in Lausanne, while Tapper’s last race was at the NACAC Championships last month, where she won a silver medal.

Stephenie Ann McPherson and Candice McLeod will compete in the women’s 400m at 1:54 p.m. Both are on course to qualify for next week’s Diamond League final in Zurich and are coming off fourth- and seventh-place finishes in Lausanne.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com

Jamaicans in action in Brussells

Women’s 100m-1:45 p.m

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Shericka Jackson

Women’s 400m 1:54 p.m

Candice McLeod

Stephenie Ann McPherson

Women’s 100m hurdles 2:07 p.m

Britany Anderson

Megan Tapper