Fraser-Pryce praises next generation of athletes

With one of the most decorated careers ever seen in track and field , Jamaican icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has heaped praises on the next generation of athletes, saying that the future of Jamaican athletics is in good hands.

Seventeen World Athletics Championships medals and eight Olympic medals tell the story of Fraser-Pryce’s dominance lasting over a decade in track and field.

Now a veteran in the sport, she is confident that the next generation of athletes will be able to maintain the high standards Jamaica has set over the years.

“If you talk about track and field and you talk about athletics in Jamaica and you see what we have been able to produce over the years, then you’ll see that we are in capable hands,” she said.

“I think a lot of our students and athletes come year after year and they have made the transition, so I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”

Fraser-Pryce credited the rigorous and competitive nature of junior athletics in Jamaica as the main reason behind the country’s continued excellence in track and field.

With marquee track meets like the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, Fraser-Pryce is confident that Jamaica will continue to produce top-level athletes.

“You come to our high school championship. It is so strict and it is rigorous,” she said. “With the training and competition, you’ll find that year after year, we’re going to be producing great athletes coming out of high school.

“We’re hoping they can make that transition. We’re hoping they are linked to the best coaches and the best management so eventually, they will get to that level.”

FOLLOWING THE BLUEPRINT

Fraser-Pryce said an advantage Jamaican junior athletes will have is the nation’s legacy in track and field. Whether on track or in field events, Jamaica has produced top-level athletes whose careers can be used as inspiration for the next generation, and junior athletes can see the route to the top of the sport.

“They have seen athletes like us who have continued to dominate, continue to persevere, and continue to show up and give of our best,” she said.

“I think those scenarios help to encourage them to understand that they already have a platform, they already have the blueprint, and they already know what we’re capable of.

“They have all the ingredients that they need to pick and choose whoever they want to emulate, I think those kinds of experiences will continue to grow our sport in Jamaica.”

She also stated that she has been impressed by the attitudes of several of Jamaica’s emerging talents who have proven that they will not shy away from the pressure of competing against the sport’s veteran athletes.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com