By Mitch Phillips
PARIS (Reuters) -Jamaican double champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce missed her Olympic 100 metres semi-final on Saturday after sustaining an injury in the warm-up after her preparation was unsettled by security officials delaying her entry to the Stade de France.
Fraser-Pryce, competing at her fifth Games at the age of 37 and the winner of two golds, a silver and a bronze over 100m, had been due to run in the second heat but appeared as a "did not start" in the official lists.
Social media footage later emerged of her, one of the most recognisable faces in the sport, and Jamaican team members arguing with officials who would not let their vehicle enter. American Sha'Carri Richardson also appeared in the video.
Fraser Pryce was shown saying: "They've changed the rules. We came through this gate before but now they're saying athletes who have left can't use this gate."
Jamaican chef de mission Ian Kelly told Reuters later that there had been a delay but that Fraser-Pryce's absence was due to injury.
"Mrs Fraser-Pryce was allowed to enter the warm up track but from another gate from which she was directed to enter from," he said.
"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 warmup."
In Fraser-Pryce's absence, Julien Alfred of St Lucia won the semi-final and went on to claim victory in the final too with Richardson taking silver.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Ed Osmond and Hugh Lawson)
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