Fraser-Pryce opts not to defend world 200m title in Beijing

PARIS: Jamaican sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce said Friday she will not defend her world 200 metres title in Beijing next month and will just race the 100m.
But the 28-year-old track star insisted that she will defend both gold medals at the Rio Olympics next year.
“No, for sure, only the 100m,” Fraser-Pryce replied when asked whether she would be doubling up at the August 22-30 worlds in the Chinese capital.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s (today’s) Diamond League meet in Paris where she will race the 100m, Fraser-Pruce added: “It was a decision that was taken by my coach from last year that we’ll opt to do just the 100m this year and just focus on getting back to where I used to be in 2008.
“He believed I strayed a bit from the 100m in terms of my explosive starts,” she said.
“So we’ve been going back to the 100m, bearing in mind that next year is the Olympic Games.”
The two-time defending Olympic 100m champion (2008, 2012) who also claimed 200m silver at the 2012 London Games, admitted however that the time spent doubling up had had some benefits.
“The 200m was good, it definitely helped me to run the 100m a little bit better and a little bit stronger,” said the 28-year-old who won treble gold at the last worlds in Moscow in 2013 (100, 200, 4x100m relay).
“Going back to just the 100m for this year, I’m looking forward to it, as opposed to next year when I will definitely be doubling.”