SportsPro, a media firm based in London that covers sports industry news, developments, bids, and deals, and NorthStar Solutions Group, its data and analytics partner,  compiled a list of the 50 Most Marketable Athletes in the world. The ranking focused on an athlete’s “brand strength,” which in turn was based on the element of “authenticity” defined as “the genuine and honest representation of an athlete’s true self, both on and off the field.” Ranked among the Top 10 “most authentic” athletes is the Jamaican Olympian and sprint legend, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, well known for having strong connections with her fans and inspiring them to long-term loyalty.

How authenticity was measured

Acknowledging that authenticity is difficult to quantify, the SportsPro project noted that brands look for athletes with personalities and values that match their image and mindset combined with factors that include trust and reliability. Authenticity factors offer benefits to both athletes and their brand partners in how the public perceives them, how their stories are told, and their engagement and impact on social media outlets like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. NorthStar measured the authenticity factor by tracking 17 themes that included hobbies and interests, mentoring, expressions of gratitude toward sponsors, sharing personal challenges and victories, mental health, family, and pets.

Fraser Pryce ranked Number 8

Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce was ranked in eighth place overall, scoring in the Top 10 on the authenticity scale with a score of 50.95. Ranking at the top of the list was Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1 race car driver. Following Hamilton, in order, were Mikaela Shiffrin, American World Cup alpine skier; Robert Lewandowski, Polish professional football player; American gymnast, Simone Biles;  American basketball star, LeBron James; Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player; Max Verstappen, Belgian and Dutch Formula One driver; Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, Jamaican track and field sprinter; Caitlin Clark, American professional basketball player; and Petra Kvitova, Czech professional tennis player.

A career dominated by “firsts”

Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1986. She is considered one of the greatest sprinters of all time and has one of the longest records of any track athlete in history. Over more than 15 years, she has made her mark in the 60 meters, 100 meters, and 200 meters and is credited with bringing on the “golden age” of Jamaican sprinting. She won two Olympic gold medals in the 100 meters and is a five-time world champion. She has eight Olympic medals and was the first Caribbean woman to win gold in the 100-meter event. In 2012, she became just the third woman in history to defend an Olympic 100-meter title. In 2020, 13 years after her first Olympic victory, she took home a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the most decorated Olympic 100-meter sprinter at the Games. Fraser Pryce is also one of the most decorated World Athletics Championship athletes, winning ten gold medals, five silver, and a bronze. She has won five World titles and in 2022, at age 35, she became the oldest sprinter to win a world championship. In 2013, she was named IAAF World Athlete of the Year. She has won more individual international sprint titles than any female athlete in history and is the most decorated 100-meter sprinter of all time. Many sports industry experts have called her the greatest female sprinter in history, and in 2023, she won the Laureus World Sports Award to become Sportswoman of the Year.

Honors and philanthropic endeavors

Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce has been sponsored by Digicel, GraceKennedy, and Nike. She has also supported numerous causes throughout her sports career and became the first UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador for Jamaica in 2010. In a partnership with Grace Foods and the Peace and Love in Society (PALS) nonprofit, she became a Grace Goodwill Ambassador for Peace. Her Pocket Rocket Foundation provides financial support for high school athletes in need.

Photo – Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce