2022 ODYSSEY TO OREGON
Can Shelly & Tajay
Defend?
W ith COVID‐19 pushing the international track and field calendar out of sync, it’s been almost three years since Shelly‐Ann Fraser‐ Pryce and Tajay Gayle covered themselves in glory in Doha, Qatar at the World Athletics Championships. Fraser‐Pryce did what she almost always seems to do and sped to a record fourth title in the 100 metres, while Gayle stepped into the spotlight with a humongous win in the long jump. Now, with the start of this week’s World Championships upon us all in Eugene, the time has come for them to do it again ... if they can. They were MVP Track Club teammates then with maestro Stephen Francis guiding their steps but things have changed since those days in Doha. Now directed by former STETHS head coach Reynaldo Walcott, Fraser‐ Pryce sprinted to personal bests and silver at last year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. By contrast, Gayle left Tokyo emptyhanded after a knee injury left him far short of his best form. Like all defending World champions from 1997 onward, they both have a wild card, a bye into the opening round of the 100 and the long jump, respectively, in Eugene. Her departure from the MVP in 2020 hasn’t hurt much. The bid for a third Olympic 100 metre gold medal was dashed by Elaine Thompson‐Herah, but she sped to times of 10.60 and 10.63 and collected a silver in Tokyo to go with her 2008 and 2012 gold medals and her bronze from
2016. The 35‐year‐old isn’t slowing down, if her season‐ opening 100‐metre time of 10.67 seconds is evidence.
could be a year when Thompson‐ Herah is vulnerable. By next year, with Fraser‐Pryce at 36 and the new coaching partnership refined, the window of opportunity could be closed forever. On the clock, the June 13 difference between their times was 0.12. Olympic bronze medallist Shericka Jackson pulled into the fast lane at the National Championships with a win timed in 10.77 seconds. Fraser‐Pryce ran only the heats there, clocking 10.70 seconds. Gayle faces a fight. Olympic champion Miltiádis Tentóglou of Greece was a majestic winner of the World Indoor Championships in March, and he is one of eight long jumpers at or beyond the World Championships qualifying distance of 8.22 metres. If his 2019 self turns up in Eugene, he
Since the start of the 2022 season, Shelly-Ann Fraser- Pryce has been the picture of consistent speed.
By contrast, Gayle hasn’t looked like the man who shellacked his Doha rivals with a personal best of 8.46 in the first round before adding the coup de grace with a huge 8.69‐metre leap in round four. In fact, up to June 13, Gayle hadn’t yet jumped past 8 metres. Conventional wisdom suggests that Fraser‐Pryce’s path to a title defence in Eugene is less difficult. Her primary rival, Thompson‐Herah, has left the MVP and changed coaches, leaving behind the expertise of Stephen Francis. As she gets used to the style of her new coach, her husband Deron, this
Elaine Thompson-Herah returns to Hayward Field after her 10.54s run in 2021, the second fastest time ever.
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