Two-time Olympic 100m gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica recaptured the World Championships women’s 100m title in Moscow, Russia yesterday with a sizzling world-leading 10.71secs run in the final.
Fraser-Pryce, who didn’t successfully defend her 2009 title in Daegu in 2011 when she finished fourth, rocketed out of the blocks and within a few strides separated herself from her rivals to streak away and win by a huge margin.
Snatching the silver medal was Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast with a distant 10.93, while USA’s Carmelita Jeter won the bronze in 10.94. Fraser-Pryce’s Jamaican teammate Kerron Stewart was edged out into fifth in 10.97 by the American champion English Gardner, who fired a massive 10.94 missile in her very first heat.
Meanwhile Nigeria’s hope Blessing Okagbare failed to live up to the status of the threat she had become in recent weeks, especially after her defeat of Fraser-Pryce with a 10.79 clocking that established a new African record. Yesterday, she managed only sixth place in 11.04. She was followed by the American pair of Alexandria Anderson (11.10) and Octavious Freeman (11.16).
After the race, the 26-year-old Fraser-Pryce told the media that even she felt some pain after the semi-final, she decided to go out and do her best in the final. The champion will now bring her 200m efforts into focus.