World

Fraser-Pryce, Thompson make easy progress at trials

June 21, 2019
 Three-times world champion Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce and training partner Elaine Thompson eased into the semi-inals of the 100 metres at the Jamaican trials.
Three-times world champion Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce and training partner Elaine Thompson eased into the semi-inals of the 100 metres at the Jamaican trials.

KINGSTON — Three-times world champion Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce and training partner Elaine Thompson eased into the semi-finals of the 100 meters at the Jamaican trials for this year's world championships with neither breaking a sweat on Thursday.

Fraser-Pryce logged a controlled 11.08 seconds to easily win the first heat on the opening day of the trials, while 2016 Rio Olympic 100 and 200 metres champion Thompson clocked 11.34.

World under-20 champion Briana Williams was the second fastest qualifier with 11.20. Fraser-Pryce, who had a baby in 2017, had entered the Jamaican trials for the Sept. 28-Oct. 6 world championships in Qatar, with the second-fastest time of the year, having run 10.88 seconds in Kingston earlier this month.

The 32-year-old's form had prompted coach Stephen Francis to suggest she was running close to her personal best of 10.70 seconds, but Fraser-Pryce said it was about purely about taking small steps as she focused on the worlds in Doha.

"If I am to be honest with you, for me its just focusing on the technique... my first 30 metres, I'm still having some challenges with it," she told Reuters.

"So each race is to get better and you know once I'm able to cement the 30 and different phases maybe at that time I can start thinking about times. Honestly I don't know what his expectations are, for me the real aim right now is to make the team and take it from there.”

Fraser-Pryce won the world title in 2009, 2013 and 2015.

Former men's 100m world champion Yohan Blake, the only Jamaican man with a sub-10 second run this year, also eased into the semifinals as he clocked 10.19, just behind Waseem Williams' 10.17.

Former world record hold Asafa Powell was third fastest qualifier with 10.27. Clive Pullen qualified for his second world championships when he won the triple jump with a leap of 17.02 meters. — Reuters


June 21, 2019
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