Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce under no pressure in season opener at Kip Keino Classic

Double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann-Fraser-Pryce has revealed she will not be under any pressure when she competes in her season opening race at the fourth edition of the Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour set for Saturday 13 May 2023 at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

Speaking after jetting into the country on Tuesday night to defend her women’s 100m title that she won last year during the third edition, the Jamaican sprint sensation, while expressing her delight to be back, indicated that her focus will be on gauging herself in her opening race that will mark her first competition since September 2022.

“I have not run since September last year so I am really looking forward to it. Last year I had a fantastic time, the atmosphere was phenomenal and knowing now that there is no Covid-19 now, I am sure everybody will be out in their numbers and we will definitely have a good time.

Honestly, I am just looking forward to competing well because I have not run since September so I just want to see where I am at. Unlike last year where I ran 200m in Kingston before coming here, this time I have not run anything so it is just about executing, having a good time and I am sure it will be fantastic,” she said.

Making her debut in Kenya at Kasarani last year, Fraser-Pryce thrilled the thousands of fans as the stadium with a 10.67 (-0.4m/s) victory in the 100m. Not only was it a meeting record, it was also a Kenyan all-comers’ record and the fastest ever season opener of any 100m sprinter in history at the time.

Ahead of the weekend race, Fraser- Pryce dropped hints of producing a good performance saying her body is in great shape as she looks towards replicating the result produced last year.

“I am feeling good to be honest, I am feeling like a 21-year-old which is good but not two years are ever the same. So, you continue to work and you trust that whatever things that you correct in training or things that you are working on will all come together. The task is just to build on the experiences and the moments that I had last year coming into this year,” she said.

World stars ready to glow at Kipkeino Classic Continental Tour

The five time world champion will head to the Kasarani showpiece buoyed with the Laureus Sportswoman of The Year Award she won alongside Argentine football legend Lionel Messi in Paris on Monday.