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Bolt praises Shelly’s longevity
May 02, 2024
Red Stripe's 'guh fi gold and glory' Olympic Games ambassador Usain Bolt is stunned at Jamaican sprint Queen Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's perseverance capacity as she embarks on her fifth Olympic Games quest in Paris, France starting in July.
Bolt, who was officially announced as the beer giant's ambassador at a press launch at the Half-Way Tree Transport Centre yesterday, said Fraser-Pryce, who turns 38 in December, has been phenomenal throughout her career and continues to be an inspiration, even at an age when most athletes retire.
"She is outstanding. She shows me up because, that means, I still could be running," he humoured.
"It is just outstanding to see her at this level, still going further and dominating, being in the medals as always, so there are no words (to describe her) because I know the amount of work it takes, day in and day out to be pushing yourself.
DETERMINED
"After having a child and coming back, shows how determined she is, but the women have done well. They have dominated the sport. I am happy to see that," Bolt said, who similarly to Fraser-Pryce, debuted at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
The sprint legend believes Jamaica currently has a good crop of male sprinters but opines that there is no clear favourite for the 100 metres title in Paris.
Nevertheless, he hopes Oblique Seville can outdo his last two World Championships fourth-place finishes.
"Let's see what happens (in men's100 metres). I think it is early. No one is doing anything. I haven't seen any impressiveness. So far, it's wide open," he commented.
"They (Jamaica men) have the chance. It's all about the execution. We have struggled over the past few years, but Oblique Seville has kept it alive.
"He has been making all the finals, it's just for him to get into the top three. Oblique, he always gets injured. Hopefully, he can get it consistent this season and be on the right path."
Meanwhile, Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president Christopher Samuda said the Bolt and Red Stripe partnership should motivate other corporate sponsors looking to invest in the nation's future talents.
"This has the full support of the Jamaica Olympic Association. We have always advocated corporate capital to invest in building and commercialising the brand.
"The ambassadorship that Red Stripe, our partner, has established with Usain is a model which should move financiers and investors to look to the now and next generations of talent as bankable assets," Samuda said.
