For nearly two decades, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce made history on the track, becoming one of the most successful sprinters the world has ever seen. The Jamaican legend won three Olympic gold medals and 10 World Championship titles, earning a place among the greatest athletes in the sport. Although she brought her competitive career to a close at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, her connection to track and field has continued beyond the finish line. Now, the Mommy Rocket could be preparing for another chapter in athletics.

According to a report shared by Owen on October 21, Fraser-Pryce is among the principals behind a new Nike-backed track club being formed by Jamaican coach Corey Bennett. Three independent sources have reportedly confirmed her involvement in the newly established group, although the nature of her role remains unclear.

Neither Fraser-Pryce nor Bennett has publicly confirmed the reported arrangement. The club’s structure and the extent of Nike’s involvement also remain unclear. Nike has maintained its relationship with Fraser-Pryce beyond her competitive career, with a continued focus on her contributions to sport and the development of young athletes. However, that partnership does not confirm that Nike is backing Bennett’s new group or establish what position Fraser-Pryce might hold within it.

The reported move comes at a time of uncertainty for MVP Track Club following the death of its founder and longtime head coach, Stephen Francis, on July 4, 2026. Francis played a major role in developing Jamaica’s sprinting talent, coaching several athletes who went on to achieve success on the international stage. Fraser-Pryce was among them, having joined MVP in 2006 and trained under Francis during the early years of her career before leaving the club in 2020.

Since Francis’s death, speculation has grown over the future of several athletes associated with MVP. A report published by the Jamaica Observer on October 19 linked sprinting sisters Tia and Tina Clayton to Bennett’s proposed training group. Their reported move had not been officially confirmed by the athletes or the club at the time.

Hurdler Kerrica Hill has also reportedly left MVP to join Bennett, while Olympic bronze medallist Rasheed Broadbell has moved to coach Lonnie Green’s training group in the United States. MVP president Bruce James has so far declined to confirm or deny the reports surrounding the Clayton twins.

Speaking to the Jamaica Observer, he said, “we do not respond to rumours.” The club is reportedly expected to release a statement toward the end of October addressing the situation and clarifying which athletes are leaving. The announcement could shed more light on the reported departures and the changes taking place within Jamaican athletics.

For many Jamaicans, the uncertainty surrounding MVP is particularly concerning given how much Stephen Francis did to build the club into a powerhouse in international athletics.

How Stephen Francis built MVP track and field club into a Jamaican sprinting powerhouse

MVP Track and Field Club was founded in September 1999 in Kingston, Jamaica, by Stephen Francis, his brother Paul Francis, David Noel and Bruce James. It began at Wolmer’s Boys’ School with a mission to change how young Jamaican athletes pursued their careers. At the time, many talented runners saw scholarships at American universities as their main route to success. Francis and his fellow founders wanted to offer another path, allowing athletes to remain in Jamaica, train with local coaches, and still compete against the world’s best.

Building the programme took years of effort. The founders had to secure funding, find training facilities and convince athletes and their families that staying in Jamaica could lead to international success. Their work also helped establish the University of Technology, Jamaica, as an important training base. Francis, meanwhile, became known for identifying promising runners before they became household names and helping them develop into elite athletes.

Asafa Powell was one of the first major success stories. After joining Francis’s group in 2001, Powell improved his 100m personal best from 10.81 seconds to 9.77 seconds in 2005, the same year he broke the world record.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce became another defining figure after joining MVP in 2006. Under Francis’s guidance, she won Olympic 100m gold at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 before becoming a multiple-time world champion. Elaine Thompson-Herah later won the Olympic 100m and 200m titles at Rio 2016 and defended both at Tokyo 2020, while Shericka Jackson added to the club’s success with her world title in the 200m. Their achievements cemented MVP’s reputation as one of Jamaica’s leading sprinting programmes.

In 2017, Stephen Francis handed day-to-day coaching duties to his brother Paul but remained involved with selected athletes and continued as the club’s technical director until his death on July 4, 2026.