The anticipated clash of three Jamaican women at Saturday’s IAAF Shanghai Diamond League in China has been watered down as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has cancelled her participation because of a “minor toe injury” for which she is receiving treatment. According to a release from meet organizers, she is expected to be fit “on a short notice.”
The double World and Olympic champion was scheduled to race contest the 200m against compatriots Veronica Campbell-Brown, another double Olympic champion, and Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby, a 2009 Berlin World Championships finalist.
Fraser-Pryce’s season opener was the Penn Relays, where she anchored the Jamaican sprint relay team to second place behind the US anchored by Carmelita Jeter. However, as she prepared for the race, TrackLife International saw her tending her partially wrapped foot, suggestive of some precautionary measure of sorts.
A week later, she did not compete at the May 7 Jamaica International Invitational World Challenge, where she was down to compete against World 400m silver medalist Shaunae Miller from the Bahamas. Miller won the race in 22.14secs.
Campbell-Brown (21.74pb) and McLaughlin-Whilby (22.54pb) will line up against Murielle Ahoure of Ivory Coast, Ivet Lalova-Collio of Bulgaria, Huijun Lin and Yongli Wei of China, Candyce McGrone, Tiffany Townsend, and Kaylin Whitney of the US. Campbell-Brown is the fastest woman to date for the season with 22.29secs.