Latest update January 18th, 2025 7:00 AM
Fraser-Pryce is sprint queen once again
LONDON (Reuters) – Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce proved to be the sprint queen of the track once again when she retained her Olympic 100 metres title on Saturday.
Fraser-Pryce, securing what could be the first leg of a Jamaican double with Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake vying for men’s 100 gold on Sunday, clocked 10.75 seconds to cap a frantic night of action in a packed Olympic stadium.
American Carmelita Jeter grabbed silver in 10.78 and Veronica
Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce crosses finish line to win women’s 100m final at London 2012 Olympic Games REUTERS PHIL NOBLE
Campbell-Brown of Jamaica claimed bronze in 10.81.
American Gail Devers was the last to retain the 100 title when following up Barcelona triumph with victory in Atlanta in 1996.
Jamaica upstaged the United States completely by sealing a clean sweep of the podium in 2008 but Jeter, the 2011 world champion and second fastest woman of all time, restored American pride by pushing Fraser-Pryce all the way.
The 25-year-old Jamaican, her hair tied back by a yellow ribbon, made a flying start and always had the powerful Jeter in check as she lunged for the line.
In something of an anti-climax after a night of British triumph in the stadium, her victory was met by muted cheers in comparison to the cacophony of sound that greeted gold medals for Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford and, noisiest of all, 10,000 metres champion Mo Farah.
Fraser-Pryce did prove a showstopper back home in Kingston where play in the West Indies v New Zealand cricket test was stopped while the final was shown on a big screen. Spectators at Sabina Park raucously celebrated her triumph.
Fraser-Pryce was little known when she stormed to gold in 2008, but followed up a year later by winning the world title in Berlin.
In 2010, at the Diamond League meeting in Shanghai, Fraser-Pryce tested positive for banned substance oxycodone after using medication for toothache. In October 2010, she was subsequently suspended for six months.
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