2023 BLAZING IN BUDAPEST
School, however, but would typically lose to Bahamian sensaon Shaunae Miller at the Caria Games and never took a medal home from the World Under‐20 Championship. Before she turned to the 100 and 200 metres, her focus was on the 400, in which she took the bronze at the 2015 Worlds, the 2016 Olympics and the 2019 World Championships. A visit to the 200 at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast produced a silver – once again behind the tall Bahamian. Lile wonder that her celebraons in Eugene, where she upset the 100‐metre placings, connued both triumph and relief. A win in the Budapest 100 as the first part of a sprint double would be perfecon. To ascend even higher into track and field royalty, Fraser‐Pryce must win. Ukrainian pole vault icon Sergey Bubka won six straight gold medals, a World Championship record for tles in a single event. The lile Jamaican and Polish hammer ace Pawel Fajdek both have five gold medals from their speciales, but the Pole, who has won his event in consecuve Championships, is struggling this season. Advantage SAFP. As things stand, Fraser‐Pryce has outscored Usain Bolt, Maurice Greene and Carl Lewis, who won
the men’s 100 three mes each. Greene and Lewis do have the edge over her in one area. Lewis won the first three World Championships 100‐metre finals in 1983, 1987 and 1991; Greene was first in 1997, 1999 and 2001. A win in Budapest would give Fraser‐Pryce a hat trick for the first me. She has twice won two in a row, 2013 and 2015 and then in 2019 and 2022. The Jamaicans aren’t running alone, however. Their teammates Shashalee Lee Forbes and 2015 finalist Natasha Morrison could join them in the final along with genuine gold medal contenders Sha’carri Richardson and Marie‐ Josée Talou. Jackson has lost twice in two starts to flamboyant American champion. On both occasions, Jackson’s improved start gave her the lead, only for Richardson’s flying finish to steal the win, first in Doha on May 5 with a personal best me of 10.71 seconds and then in Chorzow on July 16 in 10.76 seconds. Talou, the 34‐year‐old Ivorian, has improved following a coaching change. She has lowered her lifeme best to 10.75 and no longer strains to reach and keep her speed. She has won three World Championships medals, including a bronze behind Fraser‐ Pryce in 2019.
Jackson, Richardson, Talou and Fraser‐Pryce are the four fastest women in the world this year. Number five is the St. Lucian Julien Alfred at 10.81 seconds. Alfred has dominated the US collegiate scene for the University of Texas and just days aer Richardson’s second win over Jackson, she administered the American’s first 100‐metre loss of the year. Alfred got bounced by the zero‐tolerance start rule in last year’s semis but now looks ready to challenge the established order at the top of women’s sprinng. Sadly, Richardson missed the London Diamond League with a reported hamstring injury. In her absence, Talou won over 2019 runner‐up Dina Asher‐Smith of Britain and a red Jackson. If the American doesn’t recover full fitness, it will hurt her chances. Jackson has explained that her coaches at the MVP Track Club haven’t eased up her training for the Diamond League. That suggests that she will be at 10.65 speed in Budapest. If that happens, for Shelly‐Ann to make more history, she will need to conjure up the rocket start which was absent in her races this season. Anything less from her and the tle of 100‐metre queen will change hands.
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