STOCKHOLM, Sweden, CMC – Jamaican star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has made an about turn and now says she could defend both her sprint titles at the World Championships in Beijing next month.
The 28-year-old, who won both the 100 and 200 metres four years ago in Moscow, had said earlier this month that she would focus only on the 100 metres at the Bird’s Nest.
However, speaking yesterday ahead of her 100m outing at the Diamond League meet here today, Fraser-Pryce said the 200m was now back in play.
“I was down to do the 100 and relay, but the 200 is still possible,” Fraser-Pryce told a media conference.
“My coach did say earlier that I was not running the 200 but last week I was in practice and he said I should do a 100, a 200 and a 250.”
She continued: “I said: ‘Why am I going all that way? I’m not running 200 at the world champs?’ And he said: ‘Who says you’re not running?’ so I said: ‘You did!’ and he said: ‘I’ve changed my mind. I’m not sure.’
“The thing is, I’ve already earned a spot in the 200 as champion, so I wouldn’t be taking it away from anybody else.”
Fraser-Pryce is one of the most successful women sprinters of the modern area. She won gold in the 100 metres at the Beijing Olympics seven years ago and successfully defended the title at the London Olympics in 2012, along with picking up silver in the 200m
With obviously more success in the straight sprint, Fraser-Pryce said a lot more thought usually went in to her execution of the half lap.
“The 200 for me is definitely more strategic,” she explained. “When I get to the start line I am thinking ‘do I go hard for the first 50, do I go 80 per cent and then blast the last 100?”
Fraser-Pryce has not raced since clocking a world-leading 10.74 seconds in Paris three weeks ago and said she was looking forward to hitting the track again.
“I didn’t come out of the blocks very well in Paris but my transition from 30 to 70 metres was the best part of my race,” she noted.
“I’ve been training hard since and running some longer distances over 200m, which I don’t like. I’m looking forward to getting my racing started again tomorrow.”
