Olympic Runner Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Missed the 100-meter Semi-Final — What Happened?
"There is no truth that she was not allowed to enter the stadium."
By Jamie LeePublished Aug. 5 2024, 3:52 p.m. ET
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Team Jamaica reacts during the Women's 100m Round 1 Heat 6 on day seven of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris at Stade de France on Aug. 2, 2024.
She's considered one of the best sprinters in history, but Jamaican runner Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was noticeably absent when it came time for the 100-meter semi-final on Aug. 3 at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Why didn't Shelly-Ann race that night? The two-time Olympic gold medalist has competed in four prior Olympics, and she's said that Paris is going to be her final games.
Here's what we know about the situation so far.
Why did Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce not race?
Initially, reports began circulating that Shelly-Ann had an issue trying to get inside the event. A video making the rounds online shows Shelly-Ann and some of her teammates (as well as American runner Sha'Carri Richardson) standing behind a gate, being denied entry to the warm-up area. In another video, Shelly can be seen saying that she was unaware of the apparent rule change about who can use the gate, and that she'd used that same gate to enter the warm-up area the previous day.
Some people on social media speculated that perhaps this incident contributed to why Shelly wasn't at the race, but Jamaica's chef de mission Ian Kelly told Reuters that while Shelly was slightly delayed because of the mix-up at the gate, this had nothing to do with why she didn't compete that night. Rather, he said, Shelly had sustained an injury while warming up.
Watch The Moment Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce Got Rejected Not To Enter Warm Up Area 😲😲#trackandfield #Paris2024 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/6CiWf8FUuF
— Track Gossip 📌 (@iceskidect) August 3, 2024"Mrs. Fraser-Pryce was allowed to enter the warm-up track but from another gate from which she was directed to enter from," he explained to Reuters. "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."
But some social media users think there may have been more to the story, and that perhaps the delay did actually contribute to why Shelly didn't race. "By the time they got in [she] had too little time to warm up which led to an injury," one person speculated on Instagram under Shelly's post about the incident. Shelly's post didn't go into detail about what happened, but rather she wrote about her "disappointment" and her "immense gratitude."
What fresh level of madness is this? Olympic queen Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce isn't being allowed into the warmup area. "Dem seh rules change from yesterday." #Paris2024 😡🤯 pic.twitter.com/IedLn8wnHG
— Terry Finisterre (@terryfinisterre) August 3, 2024“It is difficult for me to find the words to describe the depth of my disappointment," Shelly's statement read. "I know that my supporters share and shoulder this disappointment with me. I am truly Blessed to have had the steadfast support of my fans since my Olympic debut in 2008. The support of my fans, my country, and the larger community has rooted me in immense gratitude that has sustained me throughout my career."
She captioned her post with: "Thank you for continuing to be with me today and every day."
Shelly is still expected to compete in the 4x100-meter relay.
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