Fraser-Pryce benefiting from subtle changes
Coaching by MVP Track Club maestro Stephen Francis helped Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce become a super sprinter, and now subtle technical changes have the four-time 100m World champion running faster than ever. The 2008 and 2012 Olympic 100m champion,...
Coaching by MVP Track Club maestro Stephen Francis helped Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce become a super sprinter, and now subtle technical changes have the four-time 100m World champion running faster than ever.
The 2008 and 2012 Olympic 100m champion, who set personal bests in both the 100 and 200m this season, says she is now more patient during her races and more confident in her technique.
“I feel so much more confident in my technique and being patient with the phases of the race, and I think that has definitely made the difference in terms of the 200m,” she said.
Asked how her training has evolved under her new coach Reynaldo Walcott, she said, “My coach was actually a part of my old coaching system before he left, so I think what definitely has made the difference this year is my technique is focusing on the technique, and that came through a lot of endurance work that I did, because as a sprinter usually, I was so focused about my turnover and less about having big strides and maintaining towards the end. So I definitely think that’s where the difference was made, the endurance and keeping my technique.”
EVEN FASTER TIMES
The evolution has moved her Jamaican 100m record from 10.70 to 10.63 seconds. In addition, she destroyed her 200m best of 22.09s with her Nationals winner of 21.79s.
“I’m delighted that I’ve even had the opportunity to contend because not a lot of athletes get the opportunity to contend for a fourth Olympics and three Olympic gold medals,” Fraser-Pryce said.
She thought she lost that opportunity when the Olympics were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Oh my God, I’m going to be one year older,” she shared. “I want to be out quickly but it happened and it gave me the opportunity to kind of work into that new programme because I started in April, I think, and it gave me the opportunity to kind of assess what it is that I need from the new coach, what it is that I needed to work on and it just made everything come together nicely.”
The delay did help in one important matter.
“It gave me the opportunity to assess my situation because it was after that I made a decision to change coach, and I think it worked for me,” she said.
In particular, her new 100m record has re-energised her confidence.
“It’s been something that I’ve been working so hard towards, to break the 10.7s barrier, and to be able to do it under the conditions that I did, I know I’m definitely able to go faster.”