Jamaican track star Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce surprised everyone when she didn’t show up for the 100-meter sprint semifinals at the Paris Olympics on August 4th. Even though she had made it through the heat, the 37-year-old, who had won gold twice in this event, didn’t provide a reason for her absence. Olympic officials reported that she suffered an undisclosed injury. The scoreboard displayed “DNS”—”Did Not Start”—shortly before the race. Her withdrawal was especially notable, as she was set to compete against American star Sha’Carri Richardson.

On August 5th, Fraser-Pryce finally addressed her withdrawal. Olympic medalist Rori Dunk shared a heartfelt message on X, stating that Shelly-Ann had apparently shared a message with her track and field fans, saying, “It’s the end of my Olympic journey but the beginning of a new chapter in my story.” This announcement hinted that we may not see SFP in action for the remainder of the Games, signaling a significant shift as she transitions to a new phase in her illustrious career. What’s more thought-provoking is the fact that Dunk deleted the post in a short while!

However, it doesn’t come as a surprise that this might be Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s final Olympic appearance, as she made a similar comment back in February this year that she will possibly retire after the Paris Games this summer. Fraser-Pryce revealed that family played a crucial role in her decision. She expressed that her commitment to training remains strong, but she feels it’s time to shift focus.

“My son needs me,” she said. “My husband and I have been together since before I won in 2008. He has sacrificed for me. We’re a partnership, a team. And it’s because of that support that I’m able to do what I have been doing for all these years. I now owe it to them to pursue something new.” In 2017, Fraser-Pryce gave birth to her son, Zyon; now he is 7 years old, and Shelly wasn’t able to be fully there for him. But with Shelly’s exit now, was this the only reason she had? It might not be!

After Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s exit, will Jamaica still cross the finish line first?

On August 3rd, Pryce and other athletes were blocked from entering the training track. It was said that they entered the wrong gate. But Fraser-Pryce was eventually allowed access after it was clarified that she had approached the wrong gate and needed to use a different entrance to reach the practice area, as confirmed by the Paris organizers.

As Jamaica’s shining star, Fraser-Pryce’s departure has left a void that’s hard to fill, given her stellar career. With 16 world championship medals—including five golds in the 100m—and eight Olympic medals, including a gold in the 4x100m relay at the Tokyo Games in 2021, her exit is a major blow. It’s a classic case of “the show must go on,” but with none of the Jamaican athletes who swept the podium in Tokyo competing in this year’s 100m race, it’s clear that Jamaica is facing a steep hill to climb.

Also, Elaine Thompson-Herah had ended her season early due to an Achilles tendon injury, while Shericka Jackson also withdrew from the 200m race yesterday due to an injury. With so much going on, do you think Jamaica can still win 100 and 200m races at the Olympics?