André Lowe, Special Projects Editor - Sports

BEIJING, China:

There is something about Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce that seems to click when a gold medal is on the line.

The diminutive Fraser-Pryce stood tallest in Beijing yesterday, becoming the first woman to win three 100m world titles and only the second to successfully defend, mining gold inside the Bird's Nest at the IAAF World Championships.

It's a result that lifted Jamaica's medal count to three (two gold, one bronze) after three days of competition, while Fraser-Pryce added her seventh individual title (sixth gold) and 12th overall to her personal bounty as she tried to explain what exactly that drives her fierce competitiveness.

Beaming

"I'm very competitive, I relish competition. I love when persons tell me I can't do things, I love when persons doubt me. I love all of that because for me, where it matters; I'm silently confident, I don't have to say anything, but my work and the work that I've put in, that's where my trust is," said a beaming Fraser-Pryce, shortly after her win, which came in 10.76 seconds.

Dafne Schippers of The Netherlands was second in a national record, 10.81, with Torie Bowie, 10.86, of the USA closing fast to snatch what seemed like a bronze medal from another Jamaican, Veronica Campbell-Brown, fourth in 10.99. Natasha Morrison was seventh in 11.02.

"She's awesome, I'm proud of her and she has been having a great career," said Campbell-Brown in reference to Fraser-Pryce.

It was a mixed bag for the Jamaicans in Beijing yesterday with Aisha Praught getting disqualified in the 3000m steeplechase for a lane infringement, Damar Forbes failed to advance from men's long jump qualifying after a 7.62m effort, while the campaigns of all three competitors in the men's 400m semi-finals came to an end.

Kimberly Williams finished fifth in the women's triple jump with a 14.45m mark, while her teammate Shaneika Thomas was 11th with 14.08m. That event was won as expected by Colombian Caterine Ibarguen, 14.90 ahead of Hanna Knyazyeva-Minenko (Israel) 14.78m and Olga Rypakova, 14.77m

New national record holder Rusheen McDonald seemed to still be feeling the effects of his 43.93 run in the heats, finishing sixth in the semis in a time of 44.86. Javon Francis was fourth in his semi-final in 44.77, while Peter Matthews finished eight in 45.42.