Jamaican Sprinting Queens Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson Nominated for Female Athlete of the Year

After a stellar and triumphant display of athletics on the track during this year’s sporting season, Jamaican track stars Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Shericka Jackson both have been nominated for female athlete of the year for the World Athletics Awards 2022.

The announcement was made by World Athletics on Wednesday and will see Jackson and Fraser-Pryce in contention for the prestigious award alongside track and field’s leading sportswomen from across the world, such as Bahamian sprinter, Shaunae Miller-Uibo.

Fraser-Pryce and Jackson have excelled this year, both having arguably their best season yet. Fraser-Pryce has had quite a consistent season, running under 10.70 seconds a record number of times and becoming the first woman to break 10.7 six times in one season after running a world-leading 10.62 seconds in the women’s 100-meter final at the Monaco Diamond League in August. The three-time Olympic gold medalist claimed her fifth World Championships title earlier this year in Eugene, Oregon, and secured her fifth Diamond League trophy at the Zurich Diamond League finals in September.

Meanwhile, Jackson, who began her career in the 400m, has truly thrived in the 100m and the 200m. The 28-year-old is now one of the top five fastest women alive in the 100m with a personal best of 10.71 seconds and stunned audiences at the World Championships with the second fastest time in history over the 200m distance with a 21.45-second win. Jackson recently claimed her first Diamond League title, winning the 200m at the Zurich finals.

Voting for the female athlete of the year commences today on the World Athletics Twitter page and closes at midnight on Monday, October 31. At the end of the voting process, the top five female finalists will be announced, and the winners will be revealed in December.