Oympics drama after sprinting great’s no-show
A huge controversy erupted on the running track after the most decorated female sprinter of all time did not appear at her Olympics semi-final.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, 37, was at her fifth and final Olympics in the 100m sprint, but was scratched from the scoreboard moments before she was due to appear.
As the semi-finals kicked off on Sunday morning (AEDT), there was an empty place in lane five where the Jamaican should have been.
Fraser-Pryce, who had won the 100m in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and is a five-time 100m world champion, was still a favourite for Paris, despite her age and having become a mother.
Olympic commentators calling the race described Fraser-Pryce’s no-show as “unbelievable” and a “disaster for Paris”.
Reports circulated that Fraser-Pryce was denied entry by Paris Games security to the warm-up track at the Stade de France.
Footage emerged of her seemingly not being allowed to enter the stadium.
However, the Jamaican athletics federation informed World Athletics that Fraser-Pryce had suffered an injury.
Fraser-Pryce had recently featured in a Netflix series, Sprint, following some of the world’s fastest runners over the 100m and 200m distance, including US sprint queen Sha’Carri Richardson and Jamaican teammate Shericka Jackson.
Jackson had earlier pulled out of the 100m to focus on her pet event, the 200m.
With Fraser-Pryce out of the picture, the semi was won by Julien Alfred from St Lucia.
Alfred later flew to victory in the final in 10.72 seconds, becoming the first Olympic gold medallist from the tiny Caribbean nation.
Reigning world champion Sha’Carri Richardson, from the US, 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 with Elaine Thompson-Herah, Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson.
Thompson-Herah missed the Paris Olympics due to a Achilles tendon injury, while Jackson is focusing on her favoured 200m.
Australian Bree Masters’ exciting 100m campaign ended at the semi-final stage. Masters was seventh in the semi in 11.34, marginally slower than she ran in the opening round.
In other track 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.
Aussie sprinter eliminated
Aussie sprinter Rohan Browning was unable to match his Tokyo heroics as he bowed out in the opening round of the 100m.
But the Australian flyer insists his self-belief remains strong, while he refused to blame a knee injury that has hampered him all year for the sub-par Games showing.
It was on the same stage three years ago in Tokyo that Browning rose to fame, winning his heat in 10.01 and going within a whisker of becoming just the second Australian to break the 10-second barrier.
On Saturday, the 26-year-old could manage no better than sixth place in 10.29.
Americans Fred Kerley and Kenny Bednarek (both 9.97) were the fastest qualifiers, while countryman and reigning world champ Noah Lyles also advanced with ease.
Abbey Caldwell ran a flawless tactical race in the opening repechage in the women’s 1500m to book a spot in Sunday’s semis.
– with AAP
