Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's Paris Olympics Dream Crushed: What Went Wrong?

A shockwave has been sent through Paris as Jamaican sprinting legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, one of the favourites for the women’s 100m Olympic gold medal, has been withdrawn from the event in controversial and puzzling circumstances. There was a glaring hole in the women’s 100m semi-finals at State de France when the three-time Olympic gold medallist was absent from the start line on Sunday morning (AEST). While it’s not completely clear what has gone wrong, the issue appears to be a late rule change that has denied Fraser-Pryce access to the stadium. Vision emerged on social media of the 37-year-old waiting outside the gate of the warm-up area. She could then be seen pleading her case to an official.

“She (an official) said they changed the rule yesterday. Who can change the rule and then not say?” Fraser-Pryce says in the footage. “So, you’re asking all the athletes who, for whatever reason, don’t stay in the village, then can’t come through the gate? We came through this gate yesterday and went through security and it was OK! That’s crazy!”

Nine athletics commentator Gerard Whateley was just as perplexed as everyone else. “There has been a rule change in the warm-up area and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has fallen on the wrong side of it. She has been denied entry,” he said. “So, rather than withdrawing, she has (been) withdrawn, and it seems as though there is video evidence of her pleading her case to get in. This is a disaster for Paris if that turns out to be the case. If there is something that’s changed between yesterday and today ahead of the semi-finals and the greatest ever female sprinter has been denied access to the stadium to compete in a semi-final — that’s right up there with the Seine being unfit to swim in.”

Still unsure exactly how it happened, Whateley later said: “It’s sketchy for the moment.”

One theory suggests the issue was that Fraser-Pryce did not arrive on a team bus to use the warm-up facility, which is now a requirement. The decision to tweak the rule, and do so with little or no notice, has been slammed by the athletics and Olympics world.

When the final eventually came around, with Fraser-Pryce nowhere to be seen, it was Julien Alfred from St Lucia who flew through the Paris rain for a dominant victory. Alfred stopped the clock at 10.72 seconds at Saturday, becoming the first Olympic gold medallist from the tiny Caribbean nation.

“It means a lot to me. It means a lot to my coach. It means a lot to my country,” the 23-year-old said. “I’m sure they’re celebrating right now.”

Reigning world champion Sha’Carri Richardson finished strongly to claim the silver in 10.87 ahead of fellow American Melissa Jefferson (10.92). Jamaica finished outside the medals, having swept the podium in this event at the Tokyo Games. That was in no small part due to the shock absence of Fraser-Pryce.

The Jamaican athletics federation informed World Athletics that Fraser-Pryce — who won the Olympic 100m title in 2008 and 2012 and is a five-time 100m world champion — had suffered an injury, despite the footage of her being denied access to the warm-up area. The only Jamaican to qualify for the 100m final was Tia Clayton who finished seventh.

Elaine Thompson-Herah, Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson swept the women’s 100m medals for Jamaica at the Tokyo Olympics. Thompson-Herah missed the Paris Olympics due to a Achilles tendon injury, while Jackson is focusing on her favoured 200m.

Gold medallist Alfred paid tribute to her late father, who passed away in 2013. “Dad, this is for you — I miss you,” she said. “I did it for him, I did it for my coach and God.”

Although it was a dark night for Jamaica sprinting, it was a terrific one overall for the smaller nations of the eastern Caribbean. Along with Alfred’s 100m gold for St Lucia, Thea Lafond (15.02m) saluted for Dominica in the women’s triple jump.

In other finals action on Saturday, the great Femke Bol ran an extraordinary anchor leg, mowing down three runners in the final half lap to give the Netherlands a shock victory in the mixed 4x400m relay. Ryan Crouser (22.90m) won the shot put gold, with fellow American Joe Kovacs (22.15m) edging Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell for silver on countback. And Norway had their own Cedric Dubler-Ash Moloney moment in the concluding 1500m in the decathlon, with Sandor Skotheim — who had no-heighted in the pole vault — staying in the competition to pace countryman Markus Rooth to the gold medal. Dubler famously urged Moloney on to the bronze three years ago in Tokyo.

Australian Dan Golubovic was 19th in the Paris decathlon, while Moloney withdrew after three events due to an adductor injury.