Jamaican sprinter back from embarrassing ban
Source: Agencies |
May 1, 2011, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ALWAYS jovial, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the Jamaican sprinter known for her mouth full of braces and sparkling performances, wasn't entirely her outgoing, carefree self on her return to track.
After serving a six-month ban for using oxycodone to treat a toothache, the reigning 100-meter Olympic and world champion was a little hesitant, unsure how she would be viewed by fans as she competed in a relay race.
Eyes forward, she tried to resist the temptation of peering into the stands to read the crowd's reaction to her. Instead, she simply did what she does best - run fast.
Fraser-Pryce realizes she can't run away from what others might think of her following the suspension. All she can do is focus on the finish line and get there as fast as she can, just like she did in her return two months ago.
"My coach is always telling me don't pay attention to what people have to say about me," said Fraser-Pryce, who is competing at the Penn Relays this weekend.
"Some will genuinely love me and some won't have anything good to say."
Fraser-Pryce, 24, had dental work done last May and then flew to Shanghai for a track meet. A slight infection had set in and she was given medication by a physician to alleviate the pain.
When that didn't work, she took a painkiller before the race, a drug that Fraser-Pryce failed to declare to the International Association of Athletics Federations. She ran a sluggish race, finishing second as US sprinter Carmelita Jeter flew past her.
Fraser-Pryce found out about the suspension in July, hours before she was scheduled to compete in the 100 at a meet in Lausanne, Switzerland.
"I felt like, 'What am I going to do? Everyone is going to think I'm a cheat,'" recounted Fraser-Pryce, who was ineligible to compete until January 7.
She's over that feeling now.
"If I win 10 medals, some will think I cheated and some will see my hard work and determination," she explained. "So I don't pay attention to negative comments or let (it) bother me. Instead, they are my motivation to continue to do well and work hard."
She's started a new chapter in her life, too, getting married back in January. Now, Fraser-Pryce is trying to find some time to squeeze in a quick honeymoon.
But there's so much work to be done, especially with this being a big year on the track following a season when there were no major competitions. She will attempt to defend her world title in Daegu, South Korea, this summer.
After serving a six-month ban for using oxycodone to treat a toothache, the reigning 100-meter Olympic and world champion was a little hesitant, unsure how she would be viewed by fans as she competed in a relay race.
Eyes forward, she tried to resist the temptation of peering into the stands to read the crowd's reaction to her. Instead, she simply did what she does best - run fast.
Fraser-Pryce realizes she can't run away from what others might think of her following the suspension. All she can do is focus on the finish line and get there as fast as she can, just like she did in her return two months ago.
"My coach is always telling me don't pay attention to what people have to say about me," said Fraser-Pryce, who is competing at the Penn Relays this weekend.
"Some will genuinely love me and some won't have anything good to say."
Fraser-Pryce, 24, had dental work done last May and then flew to Shanghai for a track meet. A slight infection had set in and she was given medication by a physician to alleviate the pain.
When that didn't work, she took a painkiller before the race, a drug that Fraser-Pryce failed to declare to the International Association of Athletics Federations. She ran a sluggish race, finishing second as US sprinter Carmelita Jeter flew past her.
Fraser-Pryce found out about the suspension in July, hours before she was scheduled to compete in the 100 at a meet in Lausanne, Switzerland.
"I felt like, 'What am I going to do? Everyone is going to think I'm a cheat,'" recounted Fraser-Pryce, who was ineligible to compete until January 7.
She's over that feeling now.
"If I win 10 medals, some will think I cheated and some will see my hard work and determination," she explained. "So I don't pay attention to negative comments or let (it) bother me. Instead, they are my motivation to continue to do well and work hard."
She's started a new chapter in her life, too, getting married back in January. Now, Fraser-Pryce is trying to find some time to squeeze in a quick honeymoon.
But there's so much work to be done, especially with this being a big year on the track following a season when there were no major competitions. She will attempt to defend her world title in Daegu, South Korea, this summer.
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