Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is at that point in her career where she doesn’t need a win to prove she’s a legend. Everyone at the Jamaican National Championships this week understood what this race meant. The fans knew it. The athletes lining up beside her knew it—many of them had grown up watching her dominate tracks across the world. On June 27, inside Kingston’s National Stadium, the 38-year-old sprint queen gave it everything in the women’s 100m final. She ran strong. She ran proud. But this time, it was the young gun who crossed the line first. Is this where the baton is passed? The arc just got a whole lot more interesting…

Tina Clayton crossed first in a stunning 10.81s PB, with Shericka Jackson close behind and Shelly‑Ann finishing third in a heartfelt 10.91s, booking her final spot for Tokyo. Now, when the two of them appear head-to-head in Tokyo, there is going to be an interesting scenario.

When Tina Clayton was just 3 years old, wide-eyed and unaware of the legacy unfolding, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was already making a mark on the world stage. Born on August 17, 2004, in Westmoreland, Jamaica, Tina—daughter of former national-level sprinter Tishawna Pinnock—was still years away from lacing up her own spikes. And here, Shelly‑Ann made her senior World Championship debut at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, helping Jamaica qualify for the 4 × 100 m final with a strong run in the prelims, ultimately earning a silver medal. It was the start of something legendary, just as Tina’s story was only beginning.

And now, 18 years later, they’re both off to represent Jamaica in the women’s 100m at Tina’s first and Shelly’s final World Champs. Poetic right? The Jamaican legend has run in eight world championships, and going to Tokyo would be her ninth, equaling the world record. Tina, on the other hand, won’t just be sharing the stage with her idol—she’ll be one of her biggest competitors, having faced Shelly three times this year and come out ahead each time.

In Doha (May 16, 2025) at the Diamond League, rising twin sisters Tia and Tina Clayton stole the spotlight, clocking 10.92s and 11.02s  respectively, while Shelly‑Ann Fraser‑Pryce, making her first Diamond League start since 2022, placed 4th in 11.05 s, narrowly missing the podium as the younger generation surged ahead. At the Jamaican National Trials in semifinal Heat 2 on June 26, 2025. Tia Clayton set the fastest qualifying time in the women’s 100 m semifinals, clocking 10.86 s (+0.8 m/s) in Heat 2, completely outpacing the field. Shelly finished behind her with 11.02 seconds. Then there was the finals, where Tina won. It was an exciting event, even Usain Bolt was present there. But when Tina was making her debut, Shelly was making history.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was rewriting history when Tina Clayton debuted

Tina Clayton made her international debut at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2021, where she won the gold medal in the women’s 100 m and also anchored Jamaica’s winning 4 × 100 m relay team. In 2021, a 33-34-year-old Shelly Ann was rewriting history. She clocked an astonishing 10.60s to win the Lausanne Diamond League 100 m, marking the third‑fastest time ever recorded in history.

Earlier that summer, on June 5, 2021, she set a Jamaican national record of 10.63s at the Olympic Destiny Series in Kingston. At the Tokyo Olympics (July 2021), she continued her dominance by winning silver in the 100 m final (10.74 s), earning her fourth consecutive Olympic medal in that event, and anchored Jamaica to gold and a new national record of 41.02s in the women’s 4 × 100 m relay. Throughout the year, Shelly‑Ann posted 13 sub-11 runs, finishing the season as the world’s second fastest female sprinter after Elaine Thompson-Herah’s 10.54.

Needless to say, it was the same dream, just on different stages. Tina was only getting started, while Shelly was still rewriting history. Now, they’ll share the stage– one arriving, the other taking a final bow.

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