Two-time Olympic 100 champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce‘s missed the women’s 100m final at Paris 2024 after pulling out before the semi-finals.
No immediate reason was revealed for the Jamaican’s absence, which was announced on the scoreboard at the Stade de France moments before the semi-final battle with Sha’Carri Richardson and Julien Alfred.
The shock announcement came several hours after footage spread on social media of the 37-year-old caught arguing with officials after being blocked from entering a warm-up track.
Fraser-Pryce was heard saying “they've changed the rules, we always come through this gate”.
The Jamaica team said on its social media site that Fraser-Pryce was eventually allowed in. Yet mystery surrounds the reason for her withdrawal after the team failed to clarify if the earlier incident played a part.
Alfred, from Saint Lucia, would go on to win the final in a stunning time of 10.72secs, beating Richardson into silver, with fellow Team USA track star Melissa Jefferson in the bronze position.
Fraser-Pryce has a total of eight Olympic medals, including gold in the 4x100 at the Tokyo Games in 2021. She also has 16 medals at world championships, including five titles in the 100, the most recent of which came in 2022.
Her departure meant that the three Jamaicans who swept the podium in Tokyo all missed the final. That is after 2020 champion Elaine Thompson-Herah shut down her season earlier this year with an Achilles tendon injury.
While bronze medalist Shericka Jackson announced this week that she was focusing on the 200.
Reuters contributed to this report
