Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaica’s 2-time Olympic gold medalist, abruptly withdraws from Paris 100M

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SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Two-time Olympic 100 champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s quest for another title ended abruptly Saturday when she pulled out of the 100-meter semifinal at the Paris Games.

No immediate reason was given for Fraser-Pryce’s scratch, which came up on the scoreboard only moments before she was supposed to race Sha’Carri Richardson and Julien Alfred in the evening’s second semifinal.

The 37-year-old mom, who won gold medals in 2008 and 2012, has said this will be her fifth and final Olympics.

She advanced easily through the first round the day before, finishing second in her first-round heat in 10.92 seconds.

Earlier in the day, Fraser-Pryce was one of several athletes blocked from entering the training track, the Jamaica team said on its social media site. The team said she was eventually let in. It did not say whether that played into her sudden scratch.

Fraser-Pryce has a total of eight Olympic medals, including gold in the 4x100 at the Tokyo Games in 2021. She also has 16 medals at world championships, including five titles in the 100, the most recent of which came in 2022.

Fraser-Pryce’s departure means the three Jamaicans who swept the podium in Tokyo are all out of this year’s 100. Reigning champion Elaine Thompson-Herah shut down her season earlier this year with an Achilles tendon injury, and bronze medalist Shericka Jackson announced this week that she was focusing on the 200.