Jamaican sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will make her highly anticipated return to the Diamond League circuit this Friday in Doha, marking her first appearance since 2022.
Fraser-Pryce, often billed as Sha’Carri Richardson’s fiercest rival, has endured a testing road back to elite competition. The 37-year-old made her season debut at the Velocity Fest #17 meet in Kingston, posting a wind-assisted 10.94 seconds (+3.1 m/s) in the 100 meters. While it wasn’t a record-eligible time, it was a firm statement of intent from the multiple world and Olympic champion.
A Special Relationship with Doha
Doha has historically been a golden stage for Fraser-Pryce. Her last outing at the Qatar Sports Club came in May 2021, where she clinched victory in the women’s 100m with a season’s best of 10.84 seconds, outpacing Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare and the USA’s Javianne Oliver.
But perhaps her most memorable moment in Doha arrived in 2019, just two years after giving birth to her son, Zyon. Defying the odds, Fraser-Pryce stormed to World Championship glory in the women’s 100m with a scorching 10.71 seconds, becoming the first athlete — male or female — to win four world titles in the event.
The Road to Redemption
The past year has been anything but smooth for Fraser-Pryce. A long injury layoff and limited appearances tested her resolve. In mid-2024, she cautiously returned to the track at the French Foray meet in Kingston, clocking 11.15 seconds. Though victorious, the time was modest by her elite standards.
At the Jamaican Olympic Trials later that month, she showed flashes of her old self, improving to 10.94 seconds and booking her place on a record-breaking fifth Olympic team. After advancing to the semifinals with a promising 10.92 seconds in Round 1, Fraser-Pryce suffered a hamstring injury during warm-ups and withdrew before the semis, dashing hopes of a long-awaited showdown with Sha’Carri Richardson.
What to Expect in Doha
Now, in 2025, Fraser-Pryce is carefully managing her comeback season. Her appearance at Velocity Fest in April hinted at her enduring speed, and though she skipped the final to prioritize her fitness, her heat time was the fastest of the day.
In Doha, she will face stiff competition from the likes of Tia Clayton, Mujinga Kambundji, and Amy Hunt. The question isn’t just whether Fraser-Pryce can win — it’s whether she can rediscover the blistering form that saw her clock 10.60 seconds in Lausanne in 2021, making her the third-fastest woman in Diamond League history.
