(BBC) The trademark braces may have gone but, despite missing six months of competition after testing positive for a banned substance, Shelly-Ann Fraser’s broad smile remains the same.
The reigning 100m Olympic and world champion failed a drugs test at the Diamond League meet in Shanghai on 23 May last year, after taking a painkiller to treat a severe toothache.
In her first international interview since completing the ban – at the MVP athletics club in Jamaica – she was in a philosophical mood.
“The road to success has to have obstacles because at the end of the day, when success comes, it will be that much better,” said the 24-year-old.
Almost a year on from the positive test, she still refuses to blame her coach, Stephen Francis, for giving her the banned substance.
“It was a mistake and I blame no one,” she said.
“I’m a professional athlete – one who’s supposed to set examples – so whatever it is I put in my body it’s up to me to take responsibility for it and I have done that.”
She will return to action on Saturday in the Jamaica National invitational, a big deal on the island and with hardcore athletics fans. The meet includes all of the big names in Jamaican running, although Usain Bolt will be missing this year.
On a personal note things have never been better. She married long-term boyfriend Jason Pryce in January, to become Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
“I really appreciate the fact that he’s in my life. He a big part of the reason that I am successful,” she said.
But despite the big smile, bright eyes and occasional giggles during our interview; as she revisited the events around her ban I sensed it has had an impact on her.
She pointed out that she could not have been more open after testing positive. The media wanted answers at the time so she spoke to them and explained the situation. There was no hiding away.
I asked if she worries about going down in history as the athlete who failed a drugs test, instead of as an Olympic and world champion.
“What happened, happened. I can’t take it back. I wish I could, but I can’t”, she replied with a sigh.
“I live my life very clean and transparent – so I have nothing to hide. If anyone wants to ask a question or to suggest something I’m always open. So, no, I don’t worry about that at all.”
Fraser-Pryce believes more must be done for athletes, explaining that oxycodone, for which she tested positive, is not considered performance enhancing and was new to the banned list.
“It should be up to the World Anti-Doping Agency to get it out there,” she said.
“We had a seminar here in Jamaica for anti-doping and a lot of the athletes were in attendance. People want to know, they want the knowledge.
“But not a lot of people are educated enough to go out there and get information for themselves. They are living by chance – thinking, Oh, this is not going to happen.
“I would never have dreamed that this would happen to me, but it did, so I have to put things into perspective and try and get the right information so it don’t happen again.”
Fraser-Pryce admits athletes can be “naive in certain situations.”
“I’m sure that people are saying, ‘maybe she deliberately took it,’ but I didn’t.
So now my eyes and my knowledge are that much broader because of the experience.
“I have a rule book at home now and one on my computer. But for an athlete I think it is long and there’s a lot of substance on the list that are so complicated and it’s hard to read.
“But at the end of the day we have a lot of people around us who are in the position to explain certain things. So it’s up to us to go out there and get the information because it‘s going to benefit us.”
It is hard to know when Fraser-Pryce is being serious at times. Her playful mood makes her difficult to read. She’s most comfortable cracking jokes with her fellow athletes – so it’s an awkward fit talking drugs.
When we moved on to talking about the coming season the smile broadened and the look of an excited child at Christmas came over her face. Fraser-Pryce wants to make up for lost time.
“As the name suggests – it’s something new – so I’m definitely bringing something new to the track; I’m just looking forward to the season.
“I lost so much last year – with my fans not seeing me compete and the children asking me, ‘Shelly-Ann how comes I didn’t see you run’ – so I’ve got a lot of people who are looking up to me and looking forward to my return.”
Still smiling she told me she has said sorry to her fans for testing positive and is now focussed on aiming to become a double Olympic and triple world 100m champion in the next three years.
So what’s causing the most excitement in the Fraser family? The London Olympics.
“A lot of my family and friends are saying, ‘I’m saving to come to London’ and my family in London is calling me and saying ‘We are ready, are you ready?’
“So I’m looking forward to it and I’m anticipating a wonderful track career for the next three years. I’ll create history; let’s say that.”
