(CMR) Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is undoubtedly one of the greatest female sprinters of all time and is now the world's fastest woman after competing at the World Athletics Championships (IAAF) in Doha, Qatar.
The Jamaican sprinter has set a new personal best record while claiming her fourth world championship title in the 100 meters; and either title overall. The 32-year-old athlete and mother of a toddler son, Zyon blew the competition away in 10.71 seconds; almost beating her personal best record set in 2012.
Fraser-Pryce is considered the female counterpart to Usain Bolt and has enjoyed an unusually long dominance on the field. She won her first of two Olympic gold medals in 2008. Her closest competition, 23-year-old Dina Asher-Smith set a new British record at 10.83.
“My secret is just staying humble and just know who you are as a person and athlete and just continue to work hard,” the 32-year-old said after her victory, where she was joined on the track by Zyon.”It's a wonderful feeling having my son witnessing this.”
Despite Fraser-Pryce's stellar performance, the attendance at the world championships has been described as “catastrophic”. The 40,000 seat Khalifa International Stadium had less than 1,000 people in attendance for that event. It was reported that most of those persons were actually journalists covering the event.
The Guardian reported:
The organizers have since blamed the start of the working week and an event schedule designed for European TV audiences. But that cannot hide a simple fact. These world athletics championships have been a PR disaster for athletics, the sport’s president Sebastian Coe, and for Qatar, a country which has spent the past decade buying up rights to host major events, including the 2022 football World Cup.
Even Denise Lewis, the 2000 Olympic heptathlon champion who is not known for controversial views, has stuck the boot in, telling the BBC: “Our governing body has let our athletes down massively.” Meanwhile Eurosport, which holds Olympic TV rights across Europe, also mocked the lack of crowd for the women’s sprint final. “The Doha crowd roars with approval,” it tweeted with a gif of tumbleweed.
It is all a far cry from the promises made by Qatar in its first bid for these championships in 2011. “No empty seats,” the prospectus said, adding that “the atmosphere surrounding the world championships will be fantastic.”
That was a pledge that always looked to be spurious. But at least it was made several years ago. Coe, who was on the evaluation commission that inspected Doha’s bid for the 2019 championships and is reported to have later voted for it, said he hoped it would be “spectacular” just a few days ago.
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