Paris Olympics 2024: Drama in women’s 100m event as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdraws amid upset in final

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Paris Olympics 2024: Drama in women’s 100m event as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdraws amid upset in final

As all eyes were on the controversial absence of track legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a rival from a fellow Caribbean nation produced an upset in the women’s 100m track final in thrilling style.

St Lucia’s Julien Alfred overcame US favourite Sha’Carri Richardson to romp home in the final and spark scenes of joy in her tiny home country.

But the omission of Fraser-Pryce from her semifinal run was the day’s biggest talking point at Stade de France, with the 37-year-old unable to get the chance to earn a 100m medal at what would have been a fifth consecutive Games.

The official word from the Jamaican Athletics Federation was that Fraser-Pryce has suffered an injury. But speculation raged around her absence potentially being triggered by a dispute over entry to the stadium for warm-up exercise several hours before the semifinal.

Video emerged of Fraser-Pryce – alongside Richardson – trying to gain entry at a gate but being rebuffed, allegedly due to arriving in a private vehicle rather than the athletes’ team shuttle bus.

“She said they changed the rule yesterday,” Fraser-Pryce can be heard saying in the video, talking to security staff.

“How are you going to change the rule and then not say?

If you’d like to view this content, please adjust your Cookie Settings.

To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

.

“So you’re asking all the athletes who, for whatever reason, don’t stay in the (athletes’) village that they can’t come through the gate?

“We came through this gate yesterday and went through security and it was OK. They want us to go all the way up to where everybody is exiting… that’s crazy.”

Jamaican team manager Ludlow Watts told media Fraser-Pryce’s withdrawal “came as a surprise”.

“This was a surprise and disappointment because the whole world would love to see Shelly in the Olympics,” Watts said.

“Apart from being a Jamaican, I am sure that people who love track and field would be very disappointed globally.”

Alfred took the crown as the world’s fastest woman with a blistering run of 10.72 seconds on a wet track as steady rain fell ahead of the showpiece event.

Camera IconJulien Alfred on the line. Credit: Matthias Schrader/AP

She raced to the lead at halfway and never looked like being headed, with Richardson 0.15 seconds behind and fellow ********* Melissa Jefferson claiming bronze.

“It means a lot to my country,” 23-year-old Alfred said.

“I’m sure they’re celebrating right now.”

Alfred also 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 ****.”

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconJulien Alfred celebrates her win. Credit: Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Earlier on the track, Femke Bol added to her considerable legacy with a remarkable mow-down effort in the anchor leg of the mixed 4x400m relay.

Bol overcame a sizeable margin entering the final 100m to ******** up Kaylyn Brown, who couldn’t lead the US home despite the favoured nation leading for virtually the entire event.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#Paris #Olympics #Drama #womens #100m #event #ShellyAnn #FraserPryce #withdraws #upset #final

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up