The Greatest of All Times (GOAT) must be determined by individual effort and results obtained at global championships and not by team efforts like relays or by performance at any other type of championship, except of course, where there is need for a tie-breaker.
To determine the GOAT of the short sprints, only three women enter the conversations. In chronological order, these are Florence Griffith-Joyner of the United States, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah, both of Jamaica.
Top -Three
Florence Griffith-Joyner enters the conversations based on her two World Records of 10.49* and 21.34 in the 100m and 200m, respectively, along with the two individual gold medals that she won at the 1988 Seoul Olympics Games.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce enters the conversations based on the two individual gold medals that she won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics and the six individual gold medals that she has won at World Championships between 2009 and 2022, which include the 100m World Championship Record of 10.67. Fraser-Pryce’s achievements and longevity can only be described as phenomenal.
Elaine Thompson-Herah enters the conversations based on the four individual gold medals that she won at two consecutive Olympic Games (Rio 2016 & Tokyo 2021), including the 100m Olympic Record at 10.61 and the uncontroversial fastest 100m time of 10.54, which is also the Jamaican National Record and the Diamond League Record. Additionally, Thompson-Herah case is enhanced by the fact that she has created history in becoming the first and only female double-double Olympic Champion in the ninety-five-years-old Olympic Games. It is materially significant to note that of the three women named in this GOAT conversation, Thompson-Herah is the most successful at the Olympics, by a ratio of 2 to 1 in each case. Indeed, the Jamaican has a perfect record in the finals of the Olympic Games.
Making a case for the Top Three
So, how do we reconcile and resolve who is the greatest of all times (GOAT)? Is it Florence Griffith-Joyner, who has the fastest times in the 100m and 200m, but with a big question mark over the 10.49 in the 100m (elevated wind suspected), but with a relatively small body of work?
Is the GOAT Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the third fastest ever in the 100m, with two individual Olympic gold medals from four Olympic Games, and six individual World Championship gold from six World Championships?
Or, is the GOAT Elaine Thompson-Herah, the only double-double female Olympic Champion, with four individual Olympic gold medals from two Olympic Games, who is also the 100m Olympic Record Holder, 100m National Record Holder and 100m Diamond League Record Holder at 10.54?
Florence Griffith-Joyner
The fact is, controversial or not, Griffith-Joyner remains on the book as the fastest woman in both the 100m and 200m. And, she also won the sprint double at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
To my mind, the only thing that keeps Griffith-Joyner in the conversations are the two World Records, one being suspected for elevated wind. Though these cannot be discounted, her body of work and the degree of difficulty of her achievements, pale when compared to those of Fraser-Pryce and Thompson-Herah.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
There is no doubt that Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has the most significant body of work, winning eight individual global titles that include back-to-back Olympic 100m gold, a World Championship sprint double, and five 100m World Championship gold medals, which include twice back-to-back 100m World Champion. And to top it all, Fraser-Pryce is the current 100m World Championship Record Holder at 10.67.
Elaine Thompson-Herah
Like Florence Griffith-Joyner, Elaine Thompson-Herah has never won an individual World Championship gold medal. However, at the Olympic Games, the more prestigious and more recognized global championship, Thompson-Herah is undoubtedly the greatest female sprinter ever. And this is significant to note, given the relative weightings of both Championships.
Indeed, winning the double-double at the Olympic Games, which are usually held every four years, puts Thompson-Herah in a completely different class, as competitive form between Olympics must be maintained over a much longer period than between the World Championship, which are held every two years. Also, unlike the World Championships, the Olympics offer no "bye", and is therefore a more difficult Championship by way of rules. Winning the sprint double, not once, but twice and back-to-back, is no ordinary feat. The degree of difficulty makes Thompson-Herah's accomplishments extraordinary, to say the least.
I guess people will have their own take on the matter. And, either way, there are reasonable and sufficient arguments to support all the athletes being the GOAT. But, if I were to choose from the three women's accomplishments, all things considered, it would come down to Fraser-Pryce and Thompson-Herah. The question now is how do we rank four individual Olympic gold medals for Elaine Thompson-Herah, with two individual Olympic gold medals and six individual World Championship gold medals for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, considering that the World Championship is not the equal of the Olympic? What is clear though, Fraser-Pryce is the most consistent and successful sprinter across both Championships.
However, her success is skewed towards the World Championship relative to the Olympics, with a ratio of 6 to 2 or 3 to 1 for simplicity. And, this fact poses a problem for me: to rank Fraser-Pryce as the GOAT. If Fraser-Pryce had six individual Olympic gold medals and two individual World Championship gold medals, the case for GOAT would have been a done deal. But as this is not the case, it is not as clear-cut as some would have us believe.
The GOAT is …
Elaine Thompson-Herah, with four individual Olympic gold medals, double-double Olympic Champion, 100m Olympic Record Holder, 100m Jamaican National Record Holder, 100m Diamond League Record Holder and with faster 100m and 200m PBs than Fraser-Pryce, and a much better head-to-head ratio (9 to 4)is, to my mind, the GOAT of female sprinting. Given the superior weighting of the Olympic Games, she who rules the Olympics, rules the roost of global sprinting!
Henley E. Taylor
Freelance Sports Writer
Edited by Raymond Byfield
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