Stars of 2022: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

When Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce launched her Diamond League campaign in Eugene earlier this year, it had been seven long years since her last series title. Yet class is permanent, and in 2022, the 35-year-old showed once again that age is no barrier as she tore up the circuit on her way to a fifth Diamond Trophy. 

Fraser-Pryce’s return to world-beating form had already been visible last season as she set a new personal best of 10.60 in Lausanne, but she had remained half a stride behind her compatriot Elaine Thompson-Herah, who swept to the 100m Diamond League title with a series of meeting records in 2021.

Not so in 2022, as Fraser-Pryce restored her grip on the Diamond Trophy with an astonishing string of victories and records between June and September. Not since the mid-2010s, when she notched up four titles in four seasons (including a 100m and 200m double in 2013), had the Jamaican been quite so dominant in the Diamond League. 

In terms of points, the “Pocket Rocket” began the season on the back foot. Despite an early world lead of 10.67 in Kenya and victory in the non-scoring 200m in Eugene, she found herself lagging behind Thompson-Herah in the qualification standings after missing the first few Diamond League meetings of the year in the 100m. 

That all changed in Paris, with Fraser-Pryce once again clocking 10.67 to break the meeting record in the Stade Charlety and open her 2022 Diamond League account in style.