While the Jamaican sprinting squad is the biggest threat to the USA’s golden dreams at the quadrennial event, some of Shelly-Ann’s national teammates have a special advantage. Many Jamaicans add skills to their arsenal in American colleges and even go on to claim NCAA titles. However, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has her reservations about it.

For Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the 2024 Olympics is probably more important than most others who will be competing. Only hours ago, the 37-year-old booked her berth in Paris as she finished the women’s 100m race in 10.94 seconds at the Jamaican Olympic Team Trials in Kingston. Right after securing her spot, the three-time Olympic gold medalist might have thrown a shade at some of her national colleagues.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce isn’t a fan of camping in foreign lands

A post on X from earlier today shared Shelly-Ann’s post-race interview. Although the sprinter couldn’t hold back her glee after getting her name on the Jamaican team for a staggering fifth Olympics, she did have a few words to say about how she represents her country, even in the tiniest cells of her body. Captioned, “A word from Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce,” the post perfectly captures what the qualification means for Fraser-Pryce.

“I’m home-bred, born and raised, schooled, coaching, living everything, so I’m bred Jamaican,” Shelly-Ann could be heard saying when the interviewer asked about how the fans’ applause made her feel. Being cheered on by an emphatic home crowd is something that all athletes find to be extremely beneficial to help them bring out their best forms. However, it seems like Shelly-Ann doesn’t approve of Jamaicans honing their skills in a country that has traditionally been their biggest rival on the biggest stage.

University of Florida’s sophomore student Brianna Lyston is an SEC champ who will be representing the black, green, and gold in Paris, while three-time NCAA champion Ackelia Smith has been one of the biggest stars from the University of Texas in NCAA D1 tournaments. Texas’ Dejanea Oakley also competes in the Big 12. On the other hand, Oneika Wilson remains a promising athlete who lends her skills to the Clemson Tigers. While Shelly-Ann might not approve of her younger colleagues’ tactics, her resume will serve as the perfect testament to the fact that Jamaica has everything a track and field athlete might need.

An illustrious career waiting for the final curtain call

Despite her age, Shelly-Ann has been preparing for the Paris Games for months. She is justifiably one of the most notable Jamaican sprinters of all time, and she wishes to end her Olympic career with a bang that can easily be comprehended by any connoisseur of the sport. Fraser-Pryce is also a sixteen-time World Championships medalist (including 10 golds) and has defeated some of the biggest stars in the track world of today including the USA’s Sha’Carri Jackson as well as her own national teammate Shericka Jackson in several international competitions.

Shelly-Ann is also a multiple-time Diamond League winner, along with being a Commonwealth Games champion, a PanAm Games champion, and boasts an incredible eight Olympic medals in total. Now, as Shelly-Ann waits to show her mettle one more time at the Olympic Games, her fans hope the runner’s Jamaican heritage proves why her strategy is as effective, if not more, than the younger stars from the country who look elsewhere to beef up their skills.