The historic achievement of Virgin Islands youth sprinter Jaleel J.N. Croal, right, at the just concluded 48th Carifta Games in the Cayman Islands has received commendation from one of the greatest female sprinters of all time, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, left. Photo: BVIAA/Facebook

Virgin Islands youth sprinter Jaleel J.N. Croal displays his Gold and Bronze medals won at the 48th Carifta Games. Photo: BVIAA/Facebook

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the 2-time Olympic Gold Medallist, acknowledged the feat of Jaleel J.N. Croal on her Facebook page on April 22, 2019. Photo: Facebook

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the 2-time Olympic Gold Medallist, acknowledged the feat of Croal on her Facebook page on April 22, 2019.

“Any BVI fans on the page???? Let’s show some love for this athlete!!!!!” Fraser-Pryce wrote. She also posted on her Facebook page a photo of Croal and part of an article published by Virgin Islands News Online on Croal’s gold medal win in the Under 17 Boys 200m.

Croal wrote his name into the history books for the Virgin Islands when he became the first Under 17 Boys 200m gold medallist for the Territory at the Carifta Games on April 21, 2019.

The Sprint Tech Track Club athlete ran a blistering 21.43 seconds out of Lane 8 in the Under 17 Boys 200m Final at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex, beating the highly fancied Jamaicans Christopher Scott (21.73) and Richard Nelson (21.84), who were second and third respectively.

Croal had taken a bronze medal in the Under 17 Boys 100m on April 20, 2019. It was the first sprint medal for the Virgin Islands in the 100m.

Fraser-Pryce termed the accomplishments by Croal as “historic” and “Pryceless”.

“Pryceless” achievements

Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica ascended to prominence in the 2008 Olympic Games when at 21 years old, the relatively unknown athlete became the first Caribbean woman to win 100 m gold at the Olympics. In 2012, she successfully defended her 100 m title, becoming the third woman to win two consecutive 100 m gold medals at the Olympics. After winning bronze at the 2016 Summer Olympics, she became the first woman in history to win 100 m medals at three consecutive Olympic Games.

Fraser-Pryce won the 100 m gold medal in the 2009 IAAF World Championships, becoming the second female sprinter to hold both world and Olympic 100 m titles simultaneously (after Gail Devers). After winning the 2015 world title in 100 m, she is the only female to be crowned world champion over 100 m three times (2009, 2013, 2015). She is also the only female athlete to reign as both world and Olympic champion on separate occasions, when she won the 2008 Olympic and 2009 world titles, and then the 2012 Olympic and 2013 world titles).

In 2013 she became the first female sprinter to win gold medals in the 100 m, 200 m and 4 × 100 m in a single world championship. Fraser-Pryce was the first woman to own IAAF world titles at 60 m, 100 m, 200 m and 4 × 100 m relay,[5] and is the only woman ever to hold them all simultaneously.

Her achievements and consistency led Olympian and sports commentator Michael D. Johnson to refer to her as "the greatest female sprinter of all time." Following her win in the 100 m at the 2015 World Championships, the IAAF also referred to her as "possibly the greatest female sprinter in history."