The fastest woman in the world is set to take on the Pocket Rocket this week.
The long awaited match is nearly here as U.S. sprinter and “fastest woman in the world” as of 2024 Sha’Carri Richardson is set to take on Jamaica’s “Pocket Rocket” Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the Women’s 100m Preliminary Round this Friday. With this being Richardson’s Olympics debut and Fraser-Pryce’s fifth and final Olympic Games, the stakes are high for both sprinters. The world, and particularly Jamaica, will surely be watching to see if Richardson will take over the spotlight or if Fraser-Pryce will claim victory once again.
Get to Know Sha’Carri Richardson
Sha’Carri Richardson is a sprinter for Team USA specializing in the 100m and 200m races. Though born and raised in Dallas, Texas, some sources claim her maternal roots are said to trace back to Jamaica.
Richardson burst onto the scene while competing for Louisiana State University (LSU). At the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, she won the 100m in a then-world junior record time of 10.75 seconds. She later went on to win the 100m at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials with a time of 10.86 seconds, securing her spot on the U.S. team for the Tokyo Olympics. Though she was set to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she was ultimately suspended for one month after testing positive for marijuana, which led to her missing the Games.
At the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Richardson came back to win gold and unseat Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as the fastest woman in the world in the 100m with a time of 10.65 seconds, which also helped the U.S. team secure gold in the 4x100m relay.
Though Richardson has yet to compete in the Olympic Games, she is the favorite to win. Social media is buzzing after reliving her U.S. women’s 4x100m relay win at last year’s world championships against Shericka Williams, with an announcer’s “nobody’s catching Sha’Carri Richardson!” becoming the tune of her 2024 Olympic goals. Her Olympic dreams are set to start this Friday, August 2 with the Women’s 100m Preliminary Round. The final will be on Saturday, August 3.
Get to Know Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is a Jamaican sprinter who specializes in the 100m and has become regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time. She’s affectionately known by Jamaicans as the “Pocket Rocket.” Growing up in the Waterhouse community of Kingston, Fraser-Pryce’s career was shaped by the storied athletic traditions of Jamaica. The island’s strong legacy in track and field, particularly in sprinting, provided her with both inspiration and a supportive environment to develop her talents. Her success has made her a national icon and an influential figure in Caribbean sports.
Fraser-Pryce has a stacked history of Olympic medals, including two golds in the 100m (2008 Beijing and 2012 London), silver in the 100m (2020 Tokyo), and silver in the 200m (2012 London). She also has four bronze medals from various relay events. She has an impressive haul of 10 World Championship gold medals, including five in the 100m (2009, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2022) and four in the 4x100m relay. In 2021 she became the fastest living woman in the world behind only Florence Griffith Joyner with a 10.63 100m at the JOA/JAAA Olympic Destiny Series meeting.
Fraser-Pryce is expected to only compete in the 100m at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This year a host of newcomers have qualified to represent Jamaica, once called the “sprint factory” of the world. But, despite being in her late 30s, she remains one of the top contenders and continues to perform at an elite level.
Leading Caribbean Athletes at the 2024 Olympics
Here are some other Caribbean athletes to watch as we await this high-stakes match up!
- Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) – Track and Field (200m)
- Kishane Thompson (Jamaica) – Track and Field (100m)
- Kirani James (Grenada) – Track and Field (400m)
- Oblique Seville (Jamaica) – Track and Field (100m)
- Dylan Carter (Trinidad and Tobago) – Swimming (Freestyle, Backstroke, Butterfly events)
- Jean-Julien Rojer (Curaçao) – Tennis (Doubles)
- Steven Gardiner (The Bahamas) – Track and Field (400m)
- Julien Alfred (Saint Lucia) – Track and Field (100m and 200m)
- Robert Florentino (Dominican Republic) – Judo (Men’s 90 kg)
- Bernardo Pié (Dominican Republic) – Taekwondo (Men’s 68 kg)
- Madelyn Rodríguez (Dominican Republic) – Taekwondo (Women’s 67 kg)
- Philippe Metellus (Haiti) – Judo
- Lynnzee Brown (Haiti) – Gymnastics
- Christopher Borzor (Haiti) – Track and Field (100m)
- Mayah Chouloute (Haiti) – Swimming (50m Freestyle)
- Alexandre Grand’Pierre (Haiti) – Swimming (100m Breaststroke)
The Paris 2024 Olympics runs from July 26 to August 11, 2024. Here are some key competitions and notable games to watch:
- Opening Ceremony: July 26
- Swimming: July 27 – August 4, with finals held across multiple days
- Track and Field: August 2 – August 11, with finals held primarily from August 4 to August 10
- Gymnastics (Artistic): July 27 – August 5
- Tennis: July 27 – August 4
- Basketball: July 27 – August 10
- Football (Soccer): July 24 – August 10
- Closing Ceremony: August 11
The complete and detailed daily schedule, including specific times for heats, semi-finals, and finals for each event, can be found on the official Paris 2024 Olympics website.
