“Time will honor your greatness – 2025.” That’s how Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce kicked off her return to the track, and with it, everyone was bracing for her final season. The video she dropped? Chills. Career highlights, gold medals, and that fire that only Shelly-Ann has. It was all framed as “unfinished business,” and her camp confirmed this was going to be her last lap. But then came April 19. She opened her season at Velocity Fest 17 in Kingston with a dominating win, and just when fans thought they had it all figured out, she threw in a cryptic message that had everyone scratching their heads. Is this really the end, or is Shelly-Ann about to surprise us all once again?
In her first race to kick off what was supposed to be her final season, eight-time Olympic medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce absolutely crushed it at Velocity Fest 17 in Kingston. At 38, the Jamaican sprint queen showed she’s still got it, blasting off the start line and finishing in a blistering 10.94 seconds (+3.1m/s). She left Natasha Morrison (11.01s) and Shaniqua Bascombe (11.28s) in her dust, proving that even though she hasn’t raced since the Paris Olympics, she’s still at the top of her game. If this is supposed to be her last season, she’s not showing any signs of slowing down.
journalist: “It might be your last season…”
SAFP: “Ok well I haven’t confirmed that so when I do I will let you know, thank you!” pic.twitter.com/ZRkGo4mzZj
— Track side with Mel (@TracksidewidMel) April 20, 2025
But then, after the race, a journalist asked the million-dollar question: “It might be your last season…” Shelly-Ann’s response? Straight to the point: “Ok well I haven’t confirmed that so when I do I will let you know, thank you!” Fans are wondering whether this represents her last season of competitive athletics or not. Fans are heavily engaged because Fraser-Pryce continues to excel at her sport even though she is currently thirty-eight years old. Nobody knows whether Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce plans to retire this season, but an American track legend shares her modest suspicions. But who’s in the know?
Justin Gatlin weighs in on Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s coaching change
Showing no signs of slowing down, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce gave a glimpse of the season when she made the bold decision to part ways with her long-time coach, Reynaldo Walcott, after four years of impressive success at the Elite Performance Track Club. Given how much she’s accomplished under his guidance, the move surprised many, especially at such a crucial point in her career. While switching coaches often leads to a decline in performance for most athletes, Justin Gatlin believes this won’t be the case for the Jamaican sprint queen.
Speaking on the Tidal League podcast, Gatlin emphasized how Shelly-Ann’s methodical approach to her career has kept her at the top. “I think, um, for Shelly, we’ve watched her rise to being the Shelly that we know of her today, and her legacy—she’s methodical; she thinks things through, right?” he said, with conviction that her approach ensures ongoing success.
Athletes encounter difficulties after leaving behind their former coach, who helped build their athletic careers, according to Gatlin’s observations about Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and her former coach, Franco. According to Gatlin her split from Franco produced unexpected results because “ Usually when you part ways with your coach that has helped make you the athlete you are, that’s not really good for the athlete; usually they start to digress, they start to go backwards, they start to not perform at a high elite level but Shelly-Ann didn’t,” Gatlin pointed out. The ending of her partnership with Franco led Fraser-Pryce to an even stronger and more confident performance in every event.
Gatlin gives a warning to her championship rivals about her potential retirement: “So if she’s going to announce that this is her last year, you better believe she’s about to be ready to go out there and ride. She’s probably looking at the fact that these girls aren’t doing anything I haven’t already done.” Given her performance history, Gatlin highlights a wiser truth since Shelly-Ann has established all possible timings. At her current pace, she will emerge from her career as the unchallenged ruler of track and field events.
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