Disappointment should not lead to vitriol

EUGENE,Oregon:

While Jamaicans are still dissecting what led to the women’s 4x100 metres relay team’s failure to get a gold medal in Saturday’s World Athletics Champions final, five-time World 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce says that criticism of the performance should not lead to vitriol.

The team of Kemba Nelson, double sprint Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, Fraser Pryce and world 200m champion Shericka Jackson came second in a season’s best time of 41.18 seconds adding another medal to Jamaica’s tally. The United States team of Melissa Jefferson, Abby Steiner, Jenna Prandini, and Twanisha Terry won in a world-leading time of 41.14. Germany were third in 42.03.

Fraser-Pryce admitted that the changes were not ideal but said that while she understands that they did not perform to expectations, it should not lead to abuse of the team.

“We are going to have some of our fans who are disappointed and will have their own view on the order in which the relay was run and what we should have done and where we went wrong and that is OK to feel that disappointment,” Fraser-Pryce said. “But it is not OK to curse our athletes or have rude comments because every single person that is on the team deserved to be on the team.”

There was one change to the team that took gold at the Tokyo Olympics last year with Nelson in place of Briana Williams. Williams began the race in the first-round heat. Fraser-Pryce says that any team member that is called upon has to get a chance.

Individual sprinters

“We have to give athletes a chance to represent because that is how you grow as a nation. If you are not able to call on any of the individual sprinters who we have to represent the country then who are we? Because anything could have happened to any three of the other ladies who ran the double,” Fraser Pryce said.

Thompson Herah said that she is proud that Nelson got her first World Championship medal in her first senior global championships.

We have no medals put down there on the field for us. We have to work for it. Even though we had four wonderful ladies we did not achieve that but we still walked away with a silver,” Thompson Herah said. “We have a new member in Kemba. I think she is happy to get her first medal and I am happy about that.”

Fraser-Pryce says that they are pleased that they did not miss out on the podium and are confident that they will have a better showing in upcoming championships.

“Yes, we had some mishaps on the legs. But we came out of it with a silver medal. It could have been worse. But it wasn’t. We are glad that we continue to have these experiences and hopefully, we will get it right and we will have much success with it,” Fraser-Pryce said.

Four of the last seven World 4x100m women’s titles have been won by Jamaica.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com