Now, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce might be getting on in years, but she’s still one of the biggest names in the world of track and field. The Jamaican with her eight Olympic medals, three of them being gold, is close to forty, but her zeal for more glory isn’t stopping. But while Mommy Rocket shocked fans just this April 17 with another win back in Jamaica, the rumors about her retirement are already afloat. But while Shelly-Ann hasn’t given any news about her final dance, one American speedster might have a clue to that. But who?

Ahead of her final session, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has decided to ditch her former coach. Training under Reynaldo Walcott and the Elite Performance Track Club for the past four years, the decision was quite shocking. After all, Fraser-Pryce gained significant success in her career under the coaching of Walcott. Thus, standing at such a crucial juncture, changing her trusted coach might become a thing of worry for the Jamaican track star. Surprisingly, Justin Gatlin begs to differ. 

Speaking in an episode of the Tidal League podcast, Gatlin shed light on what Fraser-Pryce’s parting with her coach might actually mean. Gatlin opined that when an athlete parts ways with a longstanding coach, the performance of the athlete usually takes a dip. But this was not true in the case of Fraser-Pryce. Gatlin Mentions, “I think, um, for Shelly, we’ve watched her rise to being the Shelly that we know of her today, and her legacy—she’s methodical; she thinks things through, right?”

Gatlin also brings into perspective how parting ways with Franco might’ve affected Shelly-Ann’s career. He continues, “Her parting ways with Frano and then, usually when you part ways with your coach that has helped make you the athlete you are, that’s not really good for the athlete; usually they start to digress, they start to go backwards, they start to not perform at a high elite level but Shelly-Ann didn’t,” said Gatlin. 

He pointed out how the Jamaican got better with every race and also looked confident and stronger overall. Gatlin bowed down to her strong willpower and how she could channel her resilience into a productive form on the track. But it was after this that Gatlin came up with the big revelation. He mentioned that with Fraser-Pryce announcing her final session, her competitors better watch out!

The Olympian stated, “So if she’s going to announce that this is her last year, you better believe she’s about to be ready to go out there and ride and she’s probably looking at the fact that these girls aren’t doing anything I haven’t already done, you know what I mean,” said Gatlin. Surely, Gatlin has a point here. There have been no new timings recorded that Fraser-Pryce hasn’t run.

Thus, if she just continues her good work, it will be the Jamaican who could end her season on a high. Meanwhile, speaking of ending things on a high, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce recently demolished a race at her son’s school where parents took part!

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce sprints for son, leaving parents in the dust 

When Olympic greatness meets schoolyard fun, the results are electrifying (and hilarious). Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, one of the fastest women in history, recently turned heads again, not at a stadium packed with fans, but on a school field lined with amused parents. Competing in the 100-meter parent race at her son Zyon’s sports day, the eight-time Olympic medalist blazed past the competition, leaving fellow moms stunned and spectators roaring.

She didn’t just show up. She showed out. Clad in athletic gear and seen doing a full warm-up before the race, Fraser-Pryce was all business. And while her presence might have felt a little unfair, the legendary Jamaican sprinter made no apologies. “They haven’t banned me yet so I’m at the line,” she shared in an Instagram post, clearly reveling in the moment.

In one now-viral drone clip, she accelerates so quickly that even the drone struggles to keep pace, with other parents barely visible in the frame just seconds after the start. This isn’t her first show-stealing moment at school. When previously asked why she takes part in these races, she kept it simple: “Yes, why not? I’m a parent.” As far as school legends go, Zyon’s mom just set the bar sky-high—yet again!