The 2008 Beijing Olympics is iconic for many reasons. Usain Bolt created history as the fastest man on Earth. While Michael Phelps won a barrage of gold medals. But, there is one more athlete who is under the radar and still competes at the highest level. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is an eight-time Olympic medalist, with her latest victory coming at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. But, her road to success was in doubt.
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Back during the team selections for the Beijing Olympics, she replaced another athlete and was about to be withdrawn from the team. The rest as they say is history!
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce recalls tense moments
Heading to China to compete at the highest level of sporting event,?Fraser-Pryce?was young. Being young had its issues, as there were doubts about her ability to shine. As soon as she got off the blocks in Beijing, there was only one winner. Her stunning run to the finish with Jamaicans making a clean sweep shut down all the criticisms. Things might look easy, but it was never straightforward. She revealed how she got into the plane before all the confusion.
“I was excited to represent my country; I was over the moon. At the same time, I was disappointed going into the Olympics, knowing that I made the team and they were considering pulling me out. They thought I was too young and I didn?t have any experience. I felt like I had a lot of pressure on me. I had to prove that I earned my spot. I deserve to be here and I want to be here,” said Fraser-Pryce.
From there, her pathway to redemption is a story for the ages. She retained her Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, becoming one of four women to defend her title. Moreover, she won the bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics while claiming the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
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The World Championships in Oregon
Although she is 35, the consistency in her sprinting technique and performances are amazing. An analogy for her remarkable consistency could be drawn from -‘getter better like fine wine’. With Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shericka Jackson, the Jamaican trio hopes to win more medals for their country.
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Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is still going strong. It is just amazing. Having a beautiful daughter, she continues to defy expectations and odds by putting solid sprints in her competitions. People usually use the narrative that the sky is the limit for a young prodigy. In her case, she is reaching for the stars!