Olympics 2024: Michaela Blyde’s joyful encounter with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at Paris Olympics

Black Ferns Sevens star Michaela Blyde’s new buddy, Jamaican sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, was there to support the New Zealander as she equalled the record for most tries in an Olympic match.

The friendship started with a scene that could melt the hardest of hearts when Blyde experienced a moment of pure joy in the athletes’ canteen at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Sitting with her teammates, Blyde’s eyes welled up as she whispered: “I just saw royalty.” While actual royalty (such as Queen Mary and King Frederik X of Denmark) graced the Parisian event, Blyde was referring to sprint royalty: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the eight-time Olympic medallist and 16-time world champion.

“Oh my god, oh my god,” she repeated, tears streaming down her face, while her teammates chuckled around her. Blyde’s adoration for Jamaica’s Fraser-Pryce reached new heights when she discovered the sprint queen had followed her on Instagram. It happened while she was reclining on one of the infamous Olympic Village cardboard beds, her phone in hand. When she realised Fraser-Pryce had followed her, Blyde’s joy was palpable. She leapt around the room, her face buried in her hands in disbelief. “Oh my god, we’re best friends,” she exclaimed.

What followed was a concerted effort from Blyde and her teammates to arrange a meeting, helping her craft the perfect message to the co-captain of the Jamaican Olympic team on Instagram. When the moment finally arrived, Blyde – barefoot and in a stained shirt – with oversized pants, ran to embrace a smiling Fraser-Pryce.

“My family would be so proud,” she captioned the video uploaded to TikTok. The response on Blyde’s TikTok account was overwhelmingly positive, with comments flooding in from fans in Jamaica and beyond, celebrating the bond between two legendary athletes.

“Girl, you made it to the news in Jamaica,” a woman said. “Mi a bawl like a me a meet Shelly,” added another. “What a wholesome moment. Awww. Olympics not even start good and this is my moment so far,” a TikToker wrote. “As a Jamaican, I approve this reaction,” said another woman.

The story didn’t end there, however. Fraser-Pryce’s connection with Blyde led her to the stands to watch the Black Ferns this morning and capture one of her new friend’s tries on Instagram.

In the first game, the Ferns bashed China 43-5, with tries coming from Sarah Hirini, Stacey Waaka (two) and Blyde, with her record-equalling four. Conversions came from Risi Pouri-Lane (five) and Tyla King (two).

The second game was a 33-7 victory over Canada with tries from Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Jazmin Felix-Hotham, Jorja Miller (two), Risi Pouri-Lane and conversions from Manaia Nuku (two) and Tyla King (three).

Hear it as it happens with live commentary of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on GOLD SPORT & iHeartRadio, plus comprehensive coverage on Newstalk ZB.