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.
