WATCH : Rugby Player Michaela Blyde beams in excitement as her 'idol' Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce follows her on Instagram

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Jul 27, 2024 08:10 GMT

New Zealand rugby star and Olympic gold medalist Michaela Blyde recently reacted to Jamaican sprinting legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce following her on social media. Blyde is a member of the New Zealand's rugby sevens' team, also nicknamed 'The Black Ferns', which had won the Olympic gold in the previous edition of the women's rugby sevens tournament at the Tokyo Olympics.

The team is now aiming for a 2nd consecutive Olympic gold medal, as the tournament officially begins from tomorrow, i.e. 28 July.

Michaela Blyde's happiness knew no bounds when Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce followed her account on Instagram, and even chatted with her. Michaela Blyde uploaded the entire reaction on her TikTok account, which went viral on social media :

As per Michaela Blyde's TikTok post,

"Na, stop. I just met my idol, the queen of SPRINTING, in bare feet! My family would be so proud" [via LoopNews Jamaica & TikTok]

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to make her final appearance at the Paris Olympics

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce after finishing women's 200 m final at London Olympics 2012 [Image Source: Getty]

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who has eight Olympic medals [including three gold medals in 100m and 4x100m relay] and 16 World Championships medals to her credit, had confirmed way back in September 2023 that Paris Olympics would be her fifth and final attempt at Olympic glory.

She wrote on her facebook account,

"H.E.L.L.O.

Shelly-Ann is my name, running is my fame! I got Paris on my mind..... my 5th and final one for all time... Have you started your 2024 plans? Stop waiting for a New Year." [via FaceBook]

Fraser-Pryce made her Olympic debut at the Beijing Olympics, where she won the gold medal in 100m. At London Olympics in 2012, she not only defended her title, but also won two silver medals in women's 200 m and women's 4x100m relay. She has a personal best of 10.6 seconds in 100m, which makes her the third fastest female sprinter of all time. In 200m, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's personal best is 21.79 seconds.

Four years later, the Jamaican sprinter had a relatively disappointing outing at Rio 2016, where she managed a bronze medal in 100m, and a silver medal in 4x100m relay. Tokyo 2020 went better for Fraser-Pryce, as she won silver in the 100m event while also being a part of the Jamaican team that won the 4x100m relay.

The Jamaican will be competing at the 100m and the 4x100m relay events at the Paris Olympics. While her compatriot Elaine Thompson-Herah won't be there due to an injury, the Jamaican sprinter will still face some stiff competition, especially from American sprinters Sha'Carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson.