Fraser-Pryce: I am not worried

Defending world 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has not been setting the world on fire with her early-season form, but there is no cause to worry for the little pocket-rocket.

Fraser-Pryce's barely legal 10.95 seconds season's best over the 100m at the Prefontaine Classics in Eugene, Oregon - where she finished in fourth place - and her 22.69 seconds over 200m, registered at the UTech Classics earlier this year, have been her marks so far.

While those can never be described as poor times, the former Wolmerian is certainly not overly excited about the start to her title-defending campaign. She is, however, fully aware that there is more than enough time to get everything in order before her date in Daegu, where the IAAF World Championships in Athletics will be staged from August 27 to September 4.

"I think that my preparation has been okay, nothing out of the ordinary," said Fraser-Pryce after a recent session. "As a sprinter, as a track athlete generally, you have to face obstacles, sometimes you are going to be faced with injuries and you will have to back off on the workload, but so far I am grateful and happy that I have been able to compete, and compete well.

"I'm not worried, though. I can't be worried because then I would be putting pressure on myself, so I'm just working hard and trying to stay focused, using each race to execute what I have been taught in training and trying to have the best possible season. At the end of the day, I have proven myself over and over again so, come World Championships, I will have to just go there and execute."

back issue

The MVP Track Club star, who also mined gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, had been hampered by a minor back issue, which has affected her programme in December. However, she reported that she has made progress and agreed that the liberty of not having to qualify for the World Championships from this week's JAAA/SVL National Senior Championships will certainly benefit her in the long run.

"Yes, I've had some setbacks in training but since then I have been working well and I'm just looking forward to the rest of the season," said Fraser-Pryce. "The season is still young for me, I have a bye for the World Championships, thank God for that, and I'm just looking forward to competing there."

- A.L.