Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Withdraws From 100m Semifinals

In a shocking twist on Saturday ahead of a star-studded section of the women’s 100 meter semifinals, Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was a late scratch from the event. 

This story is still ongoing, but what we do know is that the Jamaican sprinter, 37, who was third at the World Championships last year, dropped from the field just minutes before the semifinal was set to run. 

On Friday, Fraser-Pryce ran well over her first round, clocking a qualifying time of 10.92 seconds.

On Saturday, Fraser-Pryce was listed as a “Did Not Start” over the second heat. Shashalee Forbes, who replaced Shericka Jackson in the 100m after the Jamaican athlete pulled out of the event, commented on the situation in the mixed zone.

“That’s pretty surprising to me as well,” Shashalee Forbes told reporters, including FloTrack. “So I don’t know what happened.”

Forbes ran 11.20 in her semifinal and did not advance to the final. 

Fraser-Pryce’s lane assignment — Lane 5 — was left open while Julien Alfred, one of the strongest contenders to American Sha’Carri Richardson’s path to the gold medal, won the heat in 10.84 seconds. Richardson followed in 10.89 seconds.

The Jamaican Observer reported earlier today that Fraser-Pryce and Richardson were denied preliminary entry at the main gate to the warm-up track as their access was being checked and validated. The report confirmed that both athletes arrived at the gate with private vehicles and not in athlete shuttles provided by Olympic organizers.

Considered one of the greatest females of all-time in the sport, Fraser-Pryce is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, a four-time silver medalist and a one-time bronze medalist. She won gold in the women’s 100m in 2008 and 2012 in Beijing and London.

She’s won 10 World Championships and accumulated 19 first-place medals across a series of major championships over her career. Representing Jamaica, Fraser-Pryce has continued to compete long after many of her peers have stopped. 

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