Sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrew from the Olympic 100m competition before her semi-final at Paris 2024 on Saturday, August 3 2024 due to an injury.
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The 37-year-old Jamaican, a five-time world and two-time Olympic 100m champion, was competing in her final Games before retirement.
Fraser-Pryce, who boasts 24 global medals, qualified from her heat on Saturday but did not line up in the semi-final. Despite her withdrawal, she remains part of Jamaica’s women’s 4x100m team, which won gold in Tokyo three years ago.
On Sunday, Fraser-Pryce expressed her disappointment, stating, “It is difficult to find the words to describe the depth of my disappointment.” In an Instagram post, she added, “I know that my supporters share and shoulder this disappointment with me.”
Fraser-Pryce and US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, who went on to win silver, faced delays entering the warm-up area after being denied entry by officials at a gate they had previously used.
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However, Jamaica’s chef de mission Ian Kelly confirmed that Fraser-Pryce’s absence was due to an injury sustained during her final warm-up, not the entry issues.
“Mrs. Fraser-Pryce was allowed to enter the warm-up track but from another gate from which she was directed to enter,” Kelly said. “There is no truth that she was not allowed to enter the stadium. Unfortunately, she was not able to compete due to an injury sustained during her final warm-up.”
Fraser-Pryce was aiming to make the 100m podium at a fifth successive Olympics, after being denied a third title by teammate Elaine Thompson-Herah in Tokyo three years ago.
As the third-fastest woman in history with a personal best of 10.60 seconds, Fraser-Pryce announced her decision to retire in February, 17 years after she first appeared on the global stage for Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team at the 2007 World Championships.
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