Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on her way to a 100m win in Nairobi (© AFP / Getty Images)
Multiple Olympic and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will seek a strong start to her season when she races at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, this year’s second World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, in Gaborone on 29 April.
The Jamaican sprint star ran 10.67 in her first 100m race of 2022 at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, also a Continental Tour Gold event, to achieve the fastest ever women’s 100m season opener. She went on to win a fifth world 100m title in Oregon and this year will aim to add another gold medal to her highly decorated CV at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23.
“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.”
Joining Fraser-Pryce in Botswana will be fellow sprinters Kirani James and Ferdinand Omanyala, who have been announced for the 400m and 100m, respectively.
Grenada’s James completed a set of world 400m medals in Oregon last year, claiming silver to go with his 2011 gold and 2015 bronze.
Kenya’s Omanyala, meanwhile, claimed Commonwealth Games and African 100m titles in 2022.
This year's World Athletics Continental Tour offers the biggest calendar yet and includes 14 Gold level events spread across five of the six continental areas. The action kicked off in Melbourne, Australia, on 23 February and runs through to September, when the Memorial Borisa Hanzekovica in Zagreb, Croatia, welcomes athletes on 8-10 September.
Other athletes already announced for Tour events include Mondo Duplantis for the Ostrava Golden Spike on 27 June, and Femke Bol and Lieke Klaver for the FBK Games on 4 June.
