Last Friday at Ichan Stadium on Randall’s Island, situated in the East River, eight-time Olympic track and field medalist, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, was presented with a one-of-a-kind Tiffany crown by tennis great Serena Williams at the Athlos NYC meet. The moment marked the Jamaican athlete’s official retirement as a competitive sprinter, a craft in which she has been a dominant force for nearly two decades.
“This sport has given me joy beyond measure,” wrote Fraser-Pryce in a statement. “It has shaped me, disciplined me, and carried me to heights I could only dream of as a young girl in Waterhouse. Yet as I reflect, I no longer see time only in seconds — I see it in years. The years I gave to sprinting will forever remain the greatest of my life.”
The 38-year-old Fraser Pryce has excelled at the 100 meters, winning two Olympic golds and five world championships, moving at lightening speed at just five-feet tall. Chelsea Hammond Ross, a teammate of Fraser-Pryce at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where she captured a bronze medal in the long jump, recalled how both experienced their first Games together in China; from light-hearted social gatherings at the athletes’ village to intense battles against opponents in the cavernous stadium. “Even us running after the bus {to take us to the stadium} because it was leaving us,” she quipped.
At those Games, Fraser-Pryce won her first gold medal, an accomplishment she repeated four years later in London. Her final competition was the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last month, where she was a part of Jamaica’s silver medal 4×100 relay team.
“Shelly-Ann has shown so much consistency in her career and so much resilience,” said Hammond Ross. “[These World Championships] was something that everyone was wishing for. … She is leaving on her terms, and she can hold her head high and know that she had an amazing career.”
Over the years, Fraser-Pryce has invested in her community, including opening businesses and providing opportunities. In her retirement statement, she thanked her husband, Jason, for being her anchor, and her son, Zyon, for giving her a new sense of purpose.
“I know my race is not finished; it is simply a lane change,” Fraser-Pryce wrote. “This new chapter is about passing on the lessons the sport has given me, using my voice to advocate for others, and helping the next generation shine even brighter.”