Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is considered in many quarters the greatest female sprinter of her era and arguably of all time.
But the explosive, diminutive sprinter, who has won three World Championships and two Olympic Games 100m titles, does not believe she has reached legendary status in track and field.
“I think that legend talk is for Usain,” said Fraser-Pryce, as she burst into laughter. “Maybe it’s the wrong person you interviewing.
“But I am excited about where I am in my career, the things that I have accomplished, I take nothing for granted,” said Fraser-Pryce moments after collecting her third RJR Sportswoman of the Year award at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel last Friday.
Fraser-Pryce, 29, has rattled up an impressive two Olympic gold medals and seven World Championships gold medals plus 60m gold at the World Indoor.
“I have had a wonderful season, a wonderful journey so far and I wouldn’t trade anything for the lessons that I have learnt and the lessons that I will be learning coming this year and the year after,” she added.
“The legend, I don’t know right now. I am just grateful to be here and to accomplish what I have so far,” said Fraser-Pryce.
The Wolmer’s Girls alumnus announced herself at the 2008 Olympics as a 21-year-old and became the first Caribbean woman to win the 100m gold at the Olympic Games.
In 2012 at the London Olympics she successfully defended her 100m title, becoming the third woman to win two consecutive 100m events at the Olympics.
The ‘Pocket Rocket’ as she is popularly known, has won the 100m at the World Championships in 2009, 2013 and 2015, becoming the only female to be crowned world champion over 100m three times. She is also the only female athlete to hold both the Olympic and World Championships titles on two separate occasions in 2008 Olympic and 2009 World, and 2012 Olympic and 2013 World titles.
In 2013 she became the first female sprinter to win gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m in a single World Championship. Fraser-Pryce was the first woman to own IAAF world titles at 60m, 100m, 200m and 4x100m and is the only woman ever to hold them all simultaneously.
The Jamaican national 100m record holder, with 10.70 seconds, ranked fourth on the all-time list behind world record holder Florence Griffiths Joyner (10.49), Carmelita Jeter (10.64) and Marion Jones (10.65) and ahead of the legendary Merlene Ottey with 10.74 seconds.
In fact, Fraser-Pryce has the most legal times under 10.80 seconds. She did it 11 times. Admitted drug cheat Marion Jones did it 12 times, while record holder Florence Griffiths Joyner did it four times along with Ottey, and Jeter did it on five occasions.
Fraser-Pryce has the potential and chance to go even faster and in this year of the Olympics, she is expected to continue her dominance of the sprint.
“I am feeling the same way I have always felt every year. I am working hard, staying committed, staying healthy. Rio is a far way off right now, it’s just a day at a time for me. I try not to go too far ahead. If I take it a day at time and continue to work hard and stay grounded, I believe that when the time comes it will be wonderful,” she noted.
Fraser-Pryce has been the recipient of numerous accolades where she has won the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association’s Golden Cleats Award for female Athlete of the Year on four occasions — 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2015 to go with her three RJR Sportswoman of the Year awards.
She has been nominated for the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award on three occasions — 2010, 2013 and 2014 and won the IAAF World Athlete of the year in 2013.