Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce says competing in the sprint double at the Summer Olympics is still ‘on the table’ but her primary goal this summer is to break her national record of 10.70 on the way to another Olympic 100m medal.

The two-time Olympic and four-time 100m world champion was speaking to the media on the eve of her second Diamond League meeting in Doha on Friday. She was fourth in the 100m at the Gateshead meet on May 23, where her highly anticipated clash with rising American star Sha’ Carri Richardson ended up with Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith stealing their thunder with an impressive victory in driving wind and rain.

Neither Asher-Smith nor Richardson, a late withdrawal, will be in Doha on Friday.

At the pre-meet press conference earlier today, Fraser-Pryce, asked about her ambitions for taking on the sprint double in Tokyo, tentatively said she still planned to take on the challenge she has done twice before in major championships.

“The 100/200 double is hard, very hard. It’s a lot of mental toughness. I did it in 2012 (London Olympics) and I got the gold and the silver and I did it in 2013 (World Championships in Moscow) and I got both golds and it was hard. If I attempt it this year? It’s still on the table,” she said.

“In 2019, I wanted to do the double. I felt I was in shape to do the double but my coach at the time decided against it and when I saw that 2020 happened, I was like ‘oh, I should have seized the opportunity when you had it’, so for me, yeah, I definitely think it is on the cards to do, so we will see how the season progresses.

“My national championships are at the end of June and if you know my national championships, it’s always very tough so I am looking forward to making the team and get in the double hopefully.”

With regards to the 100m, Fraser-Pryce said she plans to go after times as opposed to medals this summer, knowing that if the times come, the medals will too.

“Having been on the podium so many times, if I am honest, I am really looking forward to being on the podium, which is good for me, but I think this time around I am looking forward to running below 10.70. That is definitely a big dream and something that I am working hard towards,” she said.

 “To have both (medal and time) would definitely be a blessing, but if you ask me which one I would rank higher I would definitely say I want to run 10.6 or even faster. That is definitely what I want but to have the combination would be good so I am working towards the combination as well.”

Having won six gold medals in the eight finals of major championships since 2008, Fraser-Pryce acknowledged that she thrives in the heat of battle.

 “The harder the competitions are the better I am at performing. I like a challenge. I like when the competition is hot because at the end of the day, that is what the Diamond League is about as well because when you are at a Diamond League you know the field is going to be good and it’s going to be solid.

“When you’re in a race and you’re the sole competitor that is doing well, the pressure is not there as if you if have competitors that are doing exceptionally well just like you, so for me I think the bigger the field is the bigger I perform because I love the opportunity to rise and I think those are the opportunities I get when I compete in a field that’s stacked,” she said.