At the Jamaican National Championships in June, she secured her place at the Tokyo 2025 World Championships with a third-place finish in the women’s 100m. And come September, few would bet against her being in the mix for another medal.
That’s typical Fraser-Pryce: never to be overlooked, never to be denied. It’s that relentless spirit to remain one of the world’s best in a fiercely competitive sprint nation like Jamaica that Asher-Smith so deeply admires.
“She’s made that team, she’s run a 10.9 low and it’s phenomenal. You know she’s going to be running quicker into the championship. It’ll be beautiful for her to represent her country and sign off in that kind of way, on her own terms. And I just love it for her. Hand on heart, I love it.”
Beyond the track, Fraser-Pryce is rarely seen without her trademark bright smile, and Asher-Smith says that infectious energy ensures she always has people rooting for her success.
“When I saw that she made her team and had a celebration in Jamaica, we’re good friends so we texted and I said congratulations. She’s been such a great supporter of me personally, and I think it’s really special in track when you have so many phenomenal women; icons, role models, people you compete against, who are also just genuinely lovely people.”
Asher-Smith and Fraser-Pryce have shared the podium twice at the World championships, most recently in Oregon 2022 in the 200m, and before that in Doha in 2019, when the Jamaican claimed her fourth world 100m title and the Briton took silver.
Six years on, that scenario could play out again in Tokyo. Whether it does or not, one thing is certain: Fraser-Pryce’s influence on her fellow sprinters is undeniable, and Asher-Smith’s glowing tribute is yet another testament to that enduring legacy.