Jamaican Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s Return to Track Shakes Things Up for Sha’Carri Richardson’s World Championship Bid

Sha’Carri Richardson is considered the favored athlete in the 100-meter sprint next month at the World Athletics Championship. However, with her arch-rival, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce making her return to the track, the competition is heating up.

With the 2023 World Championships coming up next month, Richardson and Fraser-Pryce will face off against each other, with the latter defending her title as the current women’s World Champion in the 100-meter event.

Having won the competition last year, Fraser-Pryce automatically qualifies for the event, while Richardson qualified after recently winning the U.S. Outdoor Championships.

Hailed as one of the greatest sprinters of all time, the 36-year-old mother and ten-time world champion, Fraser-Pryce, won her first 100m dash this year on July 20 in Switzerland. Despite having recently dealt with a knee injury, the athlete came running in hot, clocking an impressive 10.82 time to seal the win. The decorated World Champion currently holds three Olympic gold medals, four silver and one bronze.

On the other hand, American sprint superstar Richardson currently holds the world-leading time of 10.71 seconds for the women’s 100m when she competed at the U.S. Championships in Eugene, Ore., earlier last month.

While Fraser-Pryce led Team Jamaica across the finish line and swept up another gold medal last year at the World Athletics Championships, Richardson failed to qualify. Still, she’s making up for lost time with her recent world-breaking performance.

It’s no surprise what Fraser-Pryce and Richardson bring, as both athletes are highly skilled with impeccable speed. However, Fraser-Pryce had not participated in a single 100-meter event during the current outdoor season until recently. Understandably, questions are circulating about whether she can snag a back-to-back championship.

The highly-anticipated event is a part of this year’s World Athletics Championships and will take place Saturday, August 19, through Sunday, August 27.