"I departed from Paris as quickly as I came"- Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce gets real about heartbreaking exit from final Olympics

Jamaican sprinting sensation Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce opened up about her heartbreaking experience at the Paris Olympics last year. The veteran sprinter had recently attended the premier of her documentary, "Winning against Time."

In a conversation conducted after the premier by sports journalist Jemele Hill, Fraser-Pryce talked about her career, including her sudden exit before the 100m finals of the Paris Olympics. The Jamaican athlete revealed that it wasn't an easy decision for her to make.

"I departed from Paris as quickly as I came. I kid you, not because in that moment, it was hard because I dug myself out of a hole to get to that point. It took a lot of sacrifice, a lot of patience, a lot of work. And you get to the point and you’re at the actual event, and you didn’t get to compete. It was hard," said Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

The veteran Jamaican sprinter further added,

"Sure, I have dealt with injuries and injuries, you know what it is, and you try to fix it. You see the doctor. But in that moment, you’re not prepared for that. Nobody could tell me that I would dig myself out of a hole, I would get to Paris, I would run the heats, I would feel good, and I would get to that moment and first, I’d be stuck outside and have to walk all the way around to get back, and then one moment would just change everything."

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's sudden exit from the 100m semifinals was a precursor to the forgettable performance of the Jamaican athletic team at the Paris Olympics. For the first time since the Sydney Olympics, the track and field team from Jamaica had finished outside the top-5 of the medal table, with only one gold medal won by discus thrower Roje Stona.

---

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce opens up on her legacy after confirming 2025 season as her last

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce shares thoughts about her legacy [Image Source : Getty]

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce had confirmed that the current season will be her final season as an international athlete. In a conversation after the World Relays held in Guangzhou, China, the Jamaican sprinter mentioned,

"This year I think my motto is going to be, not me but god, I swear, that’s what it’s going to be, this year is going to be giving him the glory. It’s going to be a miraculous season and I am looking forward to all the wonderful things it has to offer. Really grateful for the opportunity that I get all the time to compete and to be able to compete so long. And I am hoping that anyone can draw inspiration from the legacy and everything I have been able to achieve on the track and off the track."

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce had made her track debut in 2002 as a junior athlete. She later went on to become one of the most decorated track and field athletes of all time from Jamaica. Fraser-Pryce is also the third fastest female athlete in the world, with a timing of 10.60 seconds, only behind the likes of Elaine-Thompson Herah and American legend Florence Griffith Joyner.