REGIONAL: Thompson-Herah, Fraser-Pryce to be conferred with national honour

SOURCE: Jamaica Observer- Jamaican sprint icons, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will be conferred with the national honour of Order of Distinction, Commander Class.

The two will receive the honour on National Heroes Day, a public holiday that will be observed on October 18 this year.

Both women are being recognised for their contributions to the field of sport. They are among 144 Jamaicans who will be bestowed with national honours in the 2021 edition of the National Honours and Awards ceremony.

Thompson-Herah created history this week when she became the first woman to defend her 100m and 200m titles at the Olympic Games. She first achieved the feat in Rio in 2016 and followed up with record runs in both events at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Unlike 2016 when she had to settle for a silver medal in the sprint relay when the Jamaicans finished second behind the United States, Thompson-Herah is now a triple Olympic champion, a feat achieved by the legendary Usain Bolt on several occasions. She achieved the feat on Friday morning Jamaica time as the northern Caribbean country marked the 59^th anniversary of its independence from Britain. This, when she was joined by Fraser-Pryce, Brianna Williams and Shericka Jackson to win the 4×100 metre relay in a new Jamaican national record of 41.02 seconds.

While Thompson-Herarh’s most recent performances have been dominant as she battled her way back from injuries that have plagued her for more than four years since she dominated in Rio, Fraser-Pryce has been a constant since she burst onto the scene at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where she dominated the 100 metres, winning Jamaica’s first gold medal in the event.

Fraser-Pryce defended her 100 metre title at London 2012 and in between has won a 200 metre World Championship and four 100 metre titles, making her arguably the greatest female sprinter of all time.

She has won eight medals across four Olympic Games – Bejing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. They include three gold medals, four silver and a bronze. Of her eleven medals at the World Championships stretching back to 2007, Fraser-Pryce has won an impressive nine gold and two silver medals.

Her win in the 100 metres at the 2019 Doha World Championship came after she gave birth to her son Zyon who was inside the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar to celebrate with his well decorated mom.