Jamaican sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce thew down the gauntlet in some style ahead of the Olympic Games.

She became the second fastest woman in history on Saturday, clocking a world-leading 10.63 seconds (1.3m/sec) for the 100m at the Olympic Destiny meeting in Kingston. It was also the fastest time in the women’s 100m in nearly 33 years. Only late US sprinting star Florence Griffith-Joyner, who holds the world record of 10.49sec, has run faster.

Indeed, only Griffith Joyner has ever gone quicker in the event now and has three better timings with her world record of 10.49 and runs of 10.61 and 10.62, also achieved in 1988, according to World Athletics.

List of fastest timings in women's 100m history

Rank Mark WIND Competitor DOB Nat Pos Venue Date Results Score
1 10.49 0.0 Florence GRIFFITH-JOYNER 21 DEC 1959 USA 1qf1 Indianapolis, IN (USA) 16 JUL 1988 1314
2 10.61 +1.2 Florence GRIFFITH-JOYNER 21 DEC 1959 USA 1 Indianapolis, IN (USA) 17 JUL 1988 1286
3 10.62 +1.0 Florence GRIFFITH-JOYNER 21 DEC 1959 USA 1qf3 Olympic Stadium, Jamsil, Seoul (KOR) 24 SEP 1988 1284
4 10.63 +1.3 Shelly-Ann FRASER-PRYCE 27 DEC 1986 JAM 1f1 National Stadium, Kingston (JAM) 05 JUN 2021 1282
5 10.64 +1.2 Carmelita JETER 24 NOV 1979 USA 1 Shanghai (CHN) 20 SEP 2009 1280

Fraser-Pryce, who passed Americans Marion Jones (10.65) and Carmelita Jeter (10.64) on the all-time list, said Saturday’s race should be taken in context. “You have come back from having a child and showed the world how talented and driven you are. You are officially the Fastest Women Alive,” Jeter tweeted.

“It’s one part of the process,” she said. “I can’t get too complacent as I still have to make the national team at the national trials.”

Only the top three finishers in the event at the Jamaican Championships set for June 24-27 will be selected to run the 100 metres at the Tokyo Olympics set for July.

The 34-year-old reigning world and two-time Olympic 100m champion obliterated the field at the National Stadium, finishing several metres clear of her closest rival.

Fraser-Pryce’s time smashed the previous 2021 world-leading time of 10.72sec set by Sha’Carri Richardson of the United States in March.

Fraser-Pryce had shared the Jamaican national record with Elaine Thompson-Herah at 10.70 seconds and she had a season’s best 10.84 seconds coming into the meet, organized by the Jamaica Olympic Association and the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association.

After getting off to a bullet-like start, Fraser-Pryce ran away from the field to win by a massive margin, with Natasha Morrison a distant second in 10.95 seconds and Kashieka Cameron third on 11.39.

Fraser-Pryce, the 2008 and 2012 Olympic 100m champion, was running her fourth 100m for the season and as surprised by her time as the small gathering at the stadium.

“Honestly, no, I wasn’t coming out here to run that fast,” she said. “Thank God that I finish healthy.”

She said she was able to relax and run as “there was no pressure – just wanted to get one more race in before the national trials.”

Fraser-Pryce did hint, however, that she can run faster with the Olympics approaching.

“If I am able to run 10.6 now and trials is some time away, this year I just wanted to break the 10.7 barrier so now I can focus on making the team to the Olympics,” she said.

Here are some reactions to the incredible run by the sprinter: