Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was slated to give USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson a run for her money in Paris. Unfortunately, ‘Pocket Rocket’, who was aiming for a historic three-peat in the 100-meter, encountered an injury and had to withdraw from her fifth and final Olympics. She missed the 4x100m relay final as well. “It is difficult for me to find the words to describe the depth of my disappointment,” she mentioned on social media but didn’t disclose details about her injury.

The 37-year-old suffered an undisclosed injury during her final warm-up and couldn’t go to the semifinals in that state. It was heartbreaking! But she gracefully bowed out. While her Olympic run has come to an end, her influence on the sport has not!

Speaking to Vogue about track and field on August 14, the Nike athlete said, “I love the sport, and being in the arena gives me so much life and happiness. There is tremendous pride in representing your country on such a global stage.”

With a career that spans more than a decade, the sprinter has eight Olympic medals and 14 World Champion gold medals. Further, the Jamaican is the only sprinter, male or female, to win five world titles in the 100m (2009, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2022). Her passion for the sport and her country is visible through her achievements.

No doubt, Nike is one of her biggest sponsors. She loves the super-lightweight Nike Air Zoom Maxfly.

Additionally, she also explained the mentality she developed. “There is little you can do [immediately before a race], because the work has been done. So I just remind myself to execute what I have been practicing all season and pay attention to the things that I can control. Listen to the starter’s gun and react.”

Her words reflect the unyielding spirit that has propelled her to the pinnacle of her sport. As Fraser-Pryce gracefully bows out, her mentality is something Sha’Carri Richardson and other new athletes can adopt.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s optimistic attitude: “You do not always win”

Competing for 17 years as a professional athlete surely teaches you quite a lot about life. In June 2023, she took to Instagram and wrote, “You do not always win at every turn but you win with strategy and a courageous mindset.”

“It also helps when you are kind to yourself when setbacks happen, which means you should have patience with the process as you go back to the drawing board knowing that we win by setting personal standards of excellence that are ours alone.”

This mindset helps us understand how heartbreaking it would have been for her to withdraw from the Paris Olympics. Yet, she made a decision that was right for her and was kind to herself and the legacy she has created over the years.

Fraser-Pryce’s 100m personal best of 10.60s made her the third fastest woman of all time. The Jamaican was considered the biggest obstacle between Sha’Carri Richardson and the 100m gold at the Paris Olympics before her withdrawal from the semifinals.

Richardson missed the Gold in the finals, finishing second in the 100m Olympic finals. The heap of medals that Fraser-Pryce has amassed might be insurmountable for Sha’Carri Richardson. But at the same time, it could motivate the athlete to achieve similar heights.

Eight Olympic medals, eight podiums, and five Olympics over 16 years- that’s going to be a lot for the American athlete to get past by. But Sha’Carri Richardson has a long journey ahead. For her, this is just the start. Richardson is still at the peak of her career and can go on to leave a legacy of her own. Just like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.