For more than a decade, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has embodied Jamaican sprinting greatness, a fierce competitor with a glittering career and a record of consistency that few athletes, male or female, can match.
But as the curtain slowly draws on her unparalleled sprinting journey, a new name is rising rapidly, Tina Clayton.
A Night of Legacy and Arrival in Kingston
At the Jamaican National Championships on June 27, 2025, it felt like a symbolic baton was passed under the bright lights of Kingston’s National Stadium.
The women’s 100m final featured the familiar face of Shelly-Ann, now 38, giving it everything in front of a home crowd that has adored her since she burst onto the scene. Yet, it was 20-year-old Tina Clayton, with a scintillating personal best of 10.81 seconds, who crossed the line first.
Shericka Jackson followed, while Fraser-Pryce secured third in a respectable 10.91s, enough to book a final ticket to Tokyo, where she will make her ninth World Championships appearance.
It was a generational moment. A young contender stepping up. A legend reaffirming her enduring brilliance while also making space for what’s next.
From Watching a Legend to Racing Alongside Her
When Tina Clayton was a toddler in Westmoreland, Jamaica, her future was unknowingly being shaped by watching Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce command global tracks. Born in 2004 to former national sprinter Tishawna Pinnock, Tina came of age as Fraser-Pryce became one of the sport’s all-time greats, debuting at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka and collecting medals ever since.
Eighteen years later, they’ll share a start line in Tokyo, Tina at her first World Championships and Shelly-Ann likely at her final. It’s a script you couldn’t write better.
Their face-offs this season have hinted at a thrilling new rivalry. At the Doha Diamond League on May 16, Tina and her twin sister Tia Clayton stole the spotlight with respective times of 10.92s and 11.02s, while Shelly-Ann finished fourth in 11.05s. The momentum shifted further at the Jamaican Trials on June 26, where Tia posted the fastest semifinal time of 10.86s, leaving Shelly-Ann trailing in 11.02s.
The final belonged to Tina, whose blistering 10.81s confirmed her growing status as Jamaica’s next sprint star. Even Usain Bolt was on hand to witness the occasion, further underlining its significance for Jamaican athletics.
History Makers on Different Timelines
While Tina’s star rises, it’s worth remembering the level Shelly-Ann maintained at a similar age. In 2021, at 34, Fraser-Pryce was still rewriting history, clocking a stunning 10.63s at the Olympic Destiny Series in Kingston, a Jamaican national record at the time. She followed it up with a 10.74s silver at the Tokyo Olympics and anchored Jamaica to gold and a new national record in the 4×100m relay.
Tina, meanwhile, was making her international debut at the World U20 Championships in Nairobi, winning gold in both the 100m and 4×100m relay, marking the start of a career that’s now racing into elite territory.
The Future Has Arrived
Now, as Tokyo approaches, the question is no longer whether Tina Clayton can live up to the legend’s legacy, it’s how soon she’ll forge one of her own. She’s beaten Shelly-Ann three times this year, posted world-class times, and shown the composure of a seasoned athlete in pressure moments.
As Fraser-Pryce eyes a final hurrah on the global stage, Tina Clayton stands poised to inherit not just the title of Jamaica’s sprint queen, but a spot among the world’s most feared sprinters. .
Tokyo promises to be the moment where past, present, and future collide on the track. And Jamaica, as always, will be watching.