A dream came true for Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce at last Saturday’s JOA/JAAA Olympic Destiny Meet inside the National Stadium. The 4-time World 100 metres champion rocketed from the blocks, drove smoothly to top speed and finished in 10.63 seconds – an improvement on the national record she set in 2012. More than that, the brilliant run made her the second fastest woman of all time.

Until Saturday’s race, Fraser-Pryce shared the record at 10.70 seconds with the woman who succeeded her as Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah.

After an effort intended merely as preparation for the upcoming National Championships, an excited Fraser-Pryce gushed, ‘’I never expected I would run 10.6 and I think it’s a good thing, because there was no pressure. I just wanted to get one run in before the National Championships and that’s what really I was looking forward to. So, for me, I just wanted to execute a good race and, I’m lost for words, because 10.6 has been a dream, I’ve been working so hard, being so patient and to see it finally unfold and I’m just ecstatic.”

On the day, she was well clear of 2015 World Championships 100 metres finalist Natasha Morrison, who clocked 10.95 seconds.

The little Jamaican has been knocking in the 10.7 door for ages. Saturday’s super run was her 16th under 10.80 seconds and before then, she had run under 10.75 seconds in 9 different races. The effort took her past the previous 2021 world leading time of 10.72 seconds by American Sha’Carri Richardson, out of her national record tie with Thompson-Herah and past Marion Jones at 10.65 and Carmelita Jeter at 10.64 and into the number two spot on the all-time performance list.

Jeter, the 2011 World Champion, responded graciously on Twitter. ‘’I give credit when it’s due. You have come back from having a child and showed the world how talented and driven you are. You are officially the Fastest Woman Alive. Keep motivating these young Queens’’, Jeter posted.

Asked if she expected to run that fast, the 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion replied, ‘’Honestly no. It’s about being patient and just enjoying the process.’’

Queried by Denise Walters of TVJ Sports about going faster, the Reynaldo Walcott coached speed merchant considered, “Well, if I’m able to run 10.6 now and National Championships is still some way … honestly, I’m just looking forward to what the process will bring and continue the work because I did say that this year, I wanted nothing more than to break the 10.7 barrier and I did it but now the focus is on making the national team, then taking it from there.”