Eight Time Olympic Medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Announces Retirement, Makes Final World Championship Team
Key Takeaways
Eight-time Olympic medalist and third fastest woman of all time, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to retire after the World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Tokyo.
Article Overview
Quick insights and key information
7 min read
Estimated completion
business news
Article classification
June 28, 2025
06:02 PM
Forbes
Original publisher
SportsMoneyEight Time Olympic Medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Announces Retirement, Makes Final World Championship TeamByKatelyn Hutchison, Contributor
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights
Katelyn Hutchison covers all things track and field
AuthorJun 28, 2025, 06:02pm EDTJun 28, 2025, 06:05pm EDTEUGENE, OREGON - JULY 17: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Team Jamaica celebrates after winning gold the
More Women's 100m Final on day three of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 17, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images for World Athletics)Getty Images for World Athletics Track and field s legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce confirmed on June 23rd that this would be her final year running before beginning her retirement at the conclusion of the season
On Friday, the eight-time Olympic medalist competed in the Jamaica National Stadium one last time
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Qualifies For Her Eighth World Championship Team In The 100-Meter DashEUGENE, OREGON - JULY 17: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Team Jamaica celebrates after winning gold the
More Women's 100m Final on day three of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 17, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)Getty Images Yesterday at the Jamaica National Stadium, Fraser-Pryce ran her final race on Jamaican soil
She ran 10. 91 in the 100-meter dash, placing third behind newly crowned Jamaican national champion Tina Clayton and runner-up Shericka Jackson to qualify for her last World Athletics Outdoor Championship
Clayton and Jackson ran 10. 88, respectively. “I’m just grateful to be able to be here tonight finishing healthy and be on the team to Tokyo,” said Fraser-Pryce in a post-race interview
In the remainder of the interview, she expressed that there were several things she needed to work on to prepare for the competition in Tokyo
Race sharpness was the key component she mentioned, as she had only competed four times in 2025 before this weekend’s championship
MORE FOR YOU Despite not having many races under her belt, she is excited for the chance to continue her preparations and represent Jamaica this September
Although Fraser-Pryce is known for contesting the 200-meter dash at her country’s championships, she’s opted not to race in it this year, ing her decision not to do so last year as well
During the 2024 season, the 10-time world champion hinted that it might be her final season
When she made it to Paris to compete in her final Olympic games, spectators were shocked to see her missing from the start line after qualifying for the semi-final of the 100-meter dash
Many were heartbroken as they thought they would never see Fraser-Pryce compete again
There is still no official word on her decision to cut her time in Paris short
However, fans were elated to find out that she would compete during the 2025 season
Now, spectators will be able to give her a per goodbye this fall
The Legacy Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Leaves BehindBUDAPEST, HUNGARY - AUGUST 21: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Team Jamaica reacts after competing in the
More Women's 100m Semi-Final during day three of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 at National Athletics Centre on August 21, 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Getty Images Fraser-Pryce is far from an ordinary legend
She holds three Olympic gold medals, four Olympic silver medals, and one Olympic bronze medal, totaling eight, which is the same number as her legendary countryman, Usain Bolt
She also holds 10 World Athletics Championship titles and is the third-fastest woman of all time in the 100-meter dash, with a time of 10
In addition to her ability to dominate global championships, her capacity to push physical limitations is unmatched
In 2022, Fraser-Pryce ran 10. 67, and 10. 66 over three competitions in less than seven days
Now at 38 years old, the Olympic champion has run sub-11 seconds 87 times in her career
This statistic builds a strong case for naming her the greatest female ser of all time
The only other female ser in history to get close to this number of sub-11 second 100-meter dash’s is Merlene Ottey, with 67
Most women sers retire between their late 20s and early 30s
However, there are a handful, Ottey and Allyson Felix, who chose to defy the limits of age and dominate the sport well beyond when most athletes hang up their spikes
Ottey officially retired at 52 years old and made her final Olympic team at 44 years old
Felix retired at 36 years old, completing her last race at the 2022 World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon
Ing a similar path now is Fraser-Pryce, who will be 38 years old at the time of her final World Athletics Outdoor Championships in Tokyo, Japan
Besides her athletic achievements, track and field fans love Fraser-Pryce for a variety of other reasons
One of them is her iconic hair choices
Over her career, the Olympic champion has become known for her distinctive and beautiful hair during major competitions
Fans who have noticed this her often anticipate on social media the style she will wear
When revealed, many are in awe of the surprise she brings
EUGENE, OREGON - JULY 18: Silver medalist Shericka Jackson of Team Jamaica, gold medalist Shelly-Ann
More Fraser-Pryce of Team Jamaica and bronze medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah of Team Jamaica pose during the medal ceremony for the Women's 100m Final on day four of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 18, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images for World Athletics)Getty Images for World Athletics Fraser-Pryce is also known for her positive and radiating sportsmanship
She is often seen smiling and hugging competitors after races, displaying a large amount of energy in her post-race interviews, and being an overall encouragement to the athletes who hope to in her footsteps
She pours nothing but positive energy into track and field, which is why she is receiving so much of that love back during her last dance
Bolt spoke with Fraser-Pryce after she qualified for Tokyo yesterday
In a separate interview, Bolt reflected positively on her career and expressed his appreciation for the incredible competitive journey they had together. “Shelly’s just one of the greatest, hands down, she has ven over and over,” said Bolt. “For me, the biggest thing is to have a child come back and just dominate shows the resilience…” Bolt and Fraser-Pryce won their first Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games
Although they their fessional careers at different times, each athlete embodies what it truly means to conquer the sport of track and field
Jamaican track and field sers Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Usain Bolt (R) pose with their awards
More after being named as the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)'s best male and female World Athletes of the Year for 2013 on November 16, 2013 in Monaco at the IAAF gala
AFP PHOTO / VALERY HACHE (Photo credit should read VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images ing in Fraser-Pryce’s footsteps will be some amazing names
Notably, the Clayton twins, at just 20 years old, have already risen to the occasion
Tia Clayton was the only Jamaican woman to qualify for the 100-meter dash Olympic final in Paris, finishing seventh overall
Yesterday, Tina Clayton became the new Jamaican national champion in the 100-meter dash
Both sisters joined veterans Jackson and Fraser-Pryce as legs on the 4x100-meter relay at the World Athletics Relay Championships in China earlier this year
Together, these four took a bronze medal
Despite leaving large shoes to fill in the track and field community, many are hopeful that someone will be willing to take on the challenge
Fraser-Pryce is a worldwide treasure that track and field fans will cherish forever, long after she takes her final steps on the track
Editorial StandardsRes & PermissionsLOADING PLAYER.
Related Articles
More insights from FinancialBooklet