Fraser-Pryce storms to 100m victory

PARIS

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce hammered home her status as world championship favorite on June 18 by equaling her world best time this year to win the 100m at the Paris Diamond League meeting.

The veteran Jamaican sprinter triumphed in 10.67sec, shrugging off the crushing 30-degree heat at the city’s Charlety stadium.

A two-time Olympic champion over 100m, the 35-year-old Fraser-Pryce equaled the 2022 best time she set in Nairobi in May.

The nine-time world champion’s win illustrated her threat to reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah at next month’s world championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Both will meet next week at the Jamaican trials.

“I feel very good, technically it was very good. The goal is always to be on top technically, then the lap times follow,” said Fraser-Pryce.

“Physically I was good too. Running 10.6, only a few sprinters can achieve that,” she added.

Britain’s Daryll Neita was second on June 18 in 10.99sec with Marie-Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast third in 11.01sec.

Fraser-Pryce has already qualified for the 100m in Eugene as she is the defending champion.

However, she said she has “not decided yet” on whether she will attempt the sprint double in Oregon.

“We’ll see if I’m ready to do it physically and mentally,” she said.

After racing to 10.05 seconds over the 100m in Oslo on June 16, Andre De Grasse returned to his favored 200m in the French capital.

But the Canadian Olympic gold medalist was only fourth in Paris in a race won by Luxolo Adams of South Africa in 19.82sec.

Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh, silver medalist at the 2019 world championships and bronze medal winner at the 2020 Olympics, won the high jump with a season-best 2.01m.

Mahuchikh topped an all-Ukraine podium in the event ahead of Iryna Gerashchenko (1.98m) and Yuliya Levchenko (1.95m).