On a night that had all the makings of a classic sprint showdown, Doha witnessed an unexpected twist. Doha has long been a special stage for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. It’s where she’s delivered some of her finest performances, where the crowd often rises just a little louder when her name is announced. But on this night, the queen of sprinting was toppled. Not by an old rival, but by a rising track and field star half her age. In a stunning upset, 20-year-old Tia Clayton outran the Jamaican legend in the 100m, rewriting the script on a track where Fraser-Pryce once reigned supreme. The young guns rose; the veteran stumbled. And yet, the ones who crossed the line first left the track more critical than celebratory. Even as the world watched Jamaica’s next generation of speed ignite the track, the victors themselves were left with a taste of unfinished business.
The women’s 100m final at the Doha Diamond League delivered what few dared to predict. 20-year-old Tia Clayton outpaced sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to claim victory in a world-leading 10.92 seconds. Twin sister Tina Clayton followed in second with 11.02 s. Fraser-Pryce, the most decorated female sprinter alive, clocked a season-best 11.05 s but couldn’t find a spot on the podium. Yet, the drama didn’t end at the finish line.
What followed was a scene no one anticipated: muted celebrations from the winners. For all the records and rankings, both Clayton sisters were clearly holding back joy. Tia, despite running the fastest time in the world this year, was quick to highlight her own flaws. “I made the World Leading mark, but honestly, I didn’t do the best possible. I didn’t do it because I couldn’t do the start I always get, but other than that it was a great race for me,” lamented Tia.
The subdued reaction offered a telling glimpse into the mindset of the Clayton twins. Hungry, focused, and unsatisfied. While their dominance on the track spoke volumes, their words revealed a deeper ambition. For Tina, even a second-place finish behind her sister wasn’t enough to soothe her competitive edge. Reflecting on the same, Tina said, “I think I executed the race a bit poorly, but I can’t complain. I have to be grateful for this result because it is still the beginning of the season and it is an SB for me.”
That kind of mindset—gritty, self-critical, and relentless—may well be what sets this new era of Jamaican sprinting apart. Beating a legend like Fraser-Pryce should have been the peak. Instead, it’s clear. For the Claytons, it was only the beginning. Tina now returns to Jamaica to regroup and focus on the road ahead. Both sisters have their eyes locked on the World Championships. Their Doha performance may have stunned the track world, but make no mistake—they’re not done yet.
Tia Clayton’s rapid rise from junior queen to global sprint star
Tia Clayton doesn’t just run; she blazes. At only 20, the Jamaican sprint star is already commanding global attention with a resume that reads like a seasoned pro’s. From electrifying relay legs in her teens to setting individual records in the sport’s elite circles, Tia is no longer just one half of a famous twin duo. She’s her own headline.
The numbers speak loudest. A world-ranking #7 sprinter, Clayton scorched a personal best of 10.83 seconds at the 2024 Silesia Diamond League, not only winning the race but also announcing herself as a serious contender among sprinting’s elite. That moment followed a series of high-stakes performances, including a second-place finish at the Jamaican Athletics Championships and a berth in the Paris Olympic 100m final, where she placed seventh—impressive for a Games debutante.
But long before she stood among the world’s fastest, she had already proven her mettle on youth stages. Tia clinched two World U20 100m titles and helped Jamaica smash back-to-back world U20 4x100m relay records in 2021 and 2022. Her transition from junior marvel to senior threat was perhaps best underscored when she stepped onto the Diamond League circuit and won.
“I just wanted to run my race,” she said after one of her breakout performances. That simplicity in mindset, paired with elite-level execution, is what’s turning Tia Clayton from a promising prospect into a permanent fixture on the global sprinting stage.
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