The Jamaican sprinter withdrew at the eleventh hour from the semifinals, her final games, before she announced her retirement.
Legendary Jamaican track athlete Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce failed to show up to compete on Saturday in the 100-meter sprint semifinals of the Paris Olympics.
The 37-year-old, who has won two gold medals in the competition, did not give an explanation for her withdrawal right away. Despite qualifying in her last heat, she failed to show up at the starting line for the semi-final, when she was supposed to face American sensation Sha’Carri Richardson.
Shortly before the race, a BBC pundit declared that Fraser-Pryce would not be competing.
Track and field writer Tyler Dragon of USA Today tweeted, “The whole stadium was in shock that Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce scratched from the 100 semis,” and that “the final isn’t going to be the same” without Fraser-Pryce.
Ian Kelly, the chef de mission for Jamaica, then revealed to Reuters that Fraser-Pryce had hurt herself during her last warm-up. Videos that had been making the rounds on social media before the event showed her being held up by security personnel as she entered the warm-up area.
Fraser-Pryce thanked her supporters for their “steadfast support” since her Olympic debut in 2008 and said in a statement late on Saturday, “It is difficult for me to find the words to describe the depth of my disappointment.”
“I have a deep sense of gratitude that has supported me throughout my career because of the support I have received from my fans, my nation, and the wider community,” she continued.
Fraser-Pryce, an eight-time Olympic medallist and five-time world champion, has declared that these will be her final Games.
She qualified for only the 100-meter solo race, but next week she was also expected to compete in the 4×100-meter relay. It’s unclear if she will proceed.
