From Inside the Games
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica returned to the peak of women’s sprinting at the age of 32 as she won her fourth title at the International Association of Athletics (IAAF) World Championships here – 10 years after her first.
It came on an evening when dramatic victories in the field went to defending men’s triple jump champion Christian Taylor and pole vaulter Anzhelika Sidorova.
Fraser-Pryce, Olympic 100m champion at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, was never headed after making the kind of start that has earned her the nickname of “Pocket Rocket” as she finished in 10.71sec, the world’s fastest time this year, just one-hundredth of a second off her 2012 personal best.
Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, starting in the lane next to Fraser-Pryce, was unable to reproduce the victory over her that she earned earlier this month at the IAAF Diamond League final, but her silver medal in a national record with a time of 10.83, and will offer rising hope for the 200m, due to start tomorrow.
Bronze went to the Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou, the 2017 silver medallist, who clocked 10.90, finishing one place ahead of Jamaica’s Rio 2016 100 and 200m champion Elaine Thompson, who recorded 10.93.
Fraser-Pryce celebrated what was her 12th world title in all by parading her son Zyon, to whom she gave birth in August 2017.
“Standing here having done it again at 32, and holding my baby, is a dream come true,” she said.
“I had no sleep last night.
“Last time I was at a major championship was 2016 and I just could not sleep with nerves.
“But with mental toughness you will get what you want.
“I just wanted to nail my start, which I did, and in the end I was just making sure to get to the line.”
