Two-time Olympic champion in the 100m Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce unexpectedly withdrew from the semifinals on Saturday. The Jamaican sprinter, who claimed gold in the 100m at both the Beijing and London Olympics, left an empty lane next to US star Sha’Carri Richardson.
Her withdrawal was announced just minutes before Richardson secured her spot in the final, with Serena Williams and Snoop Dogg in attendance. Fraser-Pryce was hoping to win a 100m medal at a fifth consecutive Olympic Games, having previously earned a spot on the podium in Beijing, London, Rio, and Tokyo. However, her quest for another gold medal was cut short after she withdrew from the competition under mysterious circumstances.
Mystery Behind Withdrawing at the Last Moment
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It was later reported that Fraser-Pryce, who will turn 38 later this year, withdrew due to a hamstring injury. According to reports, she sustained the injury during her warm-up before Saturday’s semifinal.
In contrast, Richardson advanced to her first-ever Olympic final after finishing second to Julien Alfred of St. Lucia.
For the first time since the London 2012 Olympics, three American women will compete for gold in the 100m final, with Melissa Jefferson and TeeTee Terry joining Richardson.
Fraser-Pryce had posted the second-fastest time in the heats to secure her spot in the semifinal.
Before the semifinal, she was reportedly barred from the warm-up area by officials who said she could not access the facilities unless she arrived on the team bus.
End of the Journey
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Fraser-Pryce’s journey began at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, where she became the first Caribbean woman to win gold in the women’s 100m.
Fraser-Pryce defended her 100m title at the London 2012 Olympics, joining a prestigious group of repeat champions. Despite dealing with a toe injury, she secured a bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics, along with a silver in the relay.
After giving birth in 2017, she won another silver medal and a relay gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
In 2019, she became the oldest woman to win the 100m World Championship title in Doha. She reinforced her status by claiming the title again at 35 in Eugene in 2022, 14 years after her initial Olympic gold medal.
