Jamaican sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce with Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby during the ceremony for the renaming of Ashoka Road to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Drive on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) has issued a public apology to Jamaican sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce over the misspelling of her name on a street sign unveiled in her honour on Sunday.
The sign, which was meant to mark the renaming of Ashoka Road in Waterhouse, St Andrew, as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Drive, instead had the Olympic and world champion’s last name spelt as “Fraser-Price”.
WATCH: Sprinter ‘honoured’ as Ashoka Road renamed Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Drive
Despite the error, Fraser-Pryce said she was honoured by the recognition and remained focused on inspiring young people in the community where she grew up.
Speaking during the ceremony, KSAMC CEO Robert Hill acknowledged the mistake and assured the public that a corrected sign will be installed shortly.
“The correct sign will be placed there in less than 12 hours’ time,” Hill said. “Rest assured that that will be done. It does—and even you, Shelly-Ann, yourself have said—it does not take away from the meaning, sincerity, and the celebration, and the importance of what today is. But these things sometimes do happen, and I apologise sincerely and wholeheartedly, for any inconvenience or any misunderstanding that may have ensued from this error.”
Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby also extended an apology in a post-event interview with the Jamaica Observer.
“The CEO has indicated before that he apologised and took responsibility for it,” Swaby said. “I wholeheartedly apologise to Shelly-Ann, to her sponsors, her family, and her community for that. Words can’t explain it. We are really sorry… By tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock, we are assured that it will be treated correctly.”