Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Discloses Why Ditching Legendary Coach Reynaldo Walcott Was the Best Decision

Veteran Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has justified her decision to part ways with legendary coach Reynaldo Walcott of Elite Performance Track Club.

Fraser-Pryce and Walcott were the founding members of the famed athletics stable, which they established in 2020, with the trainer guiding her to remarkable success in the two years that followed.

The 38-year-old enjoyed a good working relationship with Walcott as she lowered her personal best from 10.70 to 10.60 seconds and in 2022, became the first woman to run sub-10.7 seconds on seven occasions in a single season, and also secured her fifth 100m world title in Eugene, Oregon that year.

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However, after 2022, she has been struggling with injuries and poor form and after making it to the 2023 World Championships, where she won 100m bronze, but 2024 was a struggle as she qualified for the Olympics but pulled out of her 100m semi-final as she was battling personal and professional challenges.

She reacted to that setback by ditching Walcott in October 2024, two months after her surprise withdrawal in Paris, and she now says that was one of the best decisions she has ever made.

“This year, there’s a sense of, ‘Yeah this is it,’ because I’ve enjoyed training — I always enjoy training, but this year on a different level. I was able to have more time with my family, going to the country for a day or two and really just enjoying this year,” Fraser-Pryce, who now works with Andre Wellington said on Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike as quoted by Jamaica Observer.

“Another win is the fact that I changed my coach because at this age and stage, changing the wheel can be difficult because I’m used to something that I know works for me and I had to make a very difficult decision to do something different,” she added.

Since leaving Walcott, Fraser-Pryce took her time before she returned to action in March this year, and later announced that this will be her final season on the track with her last race set to be at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan in September.

The five-time world 100m and two-time Olympics champion has run three 100m races this year, including the Jamaican National Championships, and is set to feature at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial on August 12.