By: Staff Writer
Jamaican sprint icons, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will be conferred with the national honour of Order of Distinction, Commander Class.
The two will receive the honour on National Heroes Day, a public holiday that will be observed on October 18 this year.
Both women are being recognized for their contributions to the field of sport.
Thompson-Herah and Fraser-Pryce are among 144 Jamaicans who will be bestowed with national honours in the 2021 edition of the National Honours and Awards ceremony.
Thompson-Herah created history this week when she became the first woman to defend her 100m and 200m titles at the Olympic Games. She first achieved the feat in Rio in 2016 and followed up with record runs in both events at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Fraser-Pryce, the most decorated female athlete in the Olympic 100m, took silver behind Thompson-Herah in Tokyo. Both women were also part of 4x100m relay team which won gold in Tokyo, also in a national record.
Other national awardees will include Donald Harris, professor emeritus at Stanford University, for his outstanding contributions to national development. He will be this year’s only inductee into the Order of Merit, Jamaica’s third-highest honour. Born in St. Ann, Professor Harris is also the father of US Vice President Kamala Harris.
Four Jamaicans – Pearnel Charles Sr., Dr. Peter Phillips, Dr. Ian Levy and Ernie Ranglin – are to be inducted into the Order of Jamaica, the country’s fourth-highest honour.
