(March 17) — This year’s second World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, will see multiple Olympic and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce return to Africa to start her season in Gaborone on April 29.
Fraser-Pryce, who won her fifth world 100m title in Oregon last year, ran the fastest ever women’s 100m season opener of 10.67 at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, which was also a Continental Tour Gold event. – Read more: Video: Fraser-Pryce runs 10.67 at the 2022 Kip Keino Classic!
Fraser-Pryce expressed excitement about opening her season in Botswana, saying she looks forward to running fast and having fun. She will aim to add another gold medal to her impressive collection at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on 23 July.
“I will be returning to Africa at the Botswana Continental Tour Gold track meet,” said Fraser-Pryce in a message to fans. “I am excited to be opening my season so you guys get to see me run fast and have fun.”
The Jamaican sprint queen will be joined in Botswana by fellow Caribbean sprinter Kirani James, plus African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala, who will compete in the 400m and 100m races, respectively.
Grenada’s James claimed a silver in the 400m in Oregon last year, adding to his gold in 2011 and bronze in 2015. The 30-year-old also won gold at the London Olympic Games in 2012 and owns a personal best of 43.74 seconds in the event.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s star sprinter Omanyala, who has been in electrifying form thus far this season, after blazing to 6.54 seconds during the indoor season to go with three other sub-6.60 seconds performances will be aiming to continue his rich vein of form in 2023.
Omanyala, the 2022 Commonwealth Games and African 100m champion in the same year, owns a personal best of 9.77 secs, set in Nairobi in 2021. He has held talks about challenging the world in the coming month. – Read more: Ferdinand Omanyala targeting Bolt’s world record?
