Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce explains why she did not retire after Paris Olympics
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Reading Time: 4min | Mon. 22.12.25. | 13:03
The two-time Olympic 100m champion had publicly declared that Paris would mark the end of her storied career, after which she would transition into full-time motherhood
Jamaican sprint legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has opened up on why she did not hang her spikes at the end of the Paris 2024 Olympics as initially planned.
The sprint sensation revealed that an emotionally difficult experience in the French capital pushed her to return for one final chapter on her own terms.
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The two-time Olympic 100m champion had publicly declared that Paris would mark the end of her storied career, after which she would transition into full-time motherhood.
However, those plans were shelved when she withdrew before the semifinals of the 100m, following what she described as a disruptive logistical incident at the stadium.
Fraser-Pryce had looked sharp in Paris, clocking 10.92 seconds to win her opening-round heat in the 100m, a time later matched by eventual bronze medalist Melissa Jefferson of the United States.
But when she arrived for her semifinal, the five-time world 100m champion was denied entry through the same access point she had used the previous day.
The incident unsettled her pre-race routine. Although she eventually gained entry and began her warm-up rituals, the disruption proved too much, and the veteran sprinter made the difficult decision to withdraw.
Reflecting on that moment, Fraser-Pryce admitted the disappointment cut deep.
“The reality of not being able to get to the line was hard. I had worked so hard to get to that moment, and I couldn’t get to the finish line. It was hard because I would have preferred not going at all compared to working as hard as I did and then not even being able to stand in the line to contest the semifinals,” she said.
Paris, she explained, was the culmination of a difficult journey that began a year earlier at the Budapest World Championships, where she suffered an injury in the 4x100m relay.
“I really had to dig myself out of a hole after Budapest. I got injured in the 4x100m over there. I had to really dig myself out of that hole when I had to come back for the Olympic year,” she continued.
The heartbreak of Paris ultimately convinced Fraser-Pryce that she could not walk away from the sport under those circumstances.
Instead, she set her sights on the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, determined to finish her career on her own terms despite a challenging season that included a coaching change.
“When I look at everything in perspective, I realise that it could have been like last year, when I didn’t even get the chance to step to the line.
This time, I got the opportunity to step to the line, and I got to finish on my own terms,” she offered.
At 38, Fraser-Pryce bowed out in Tokyo after finishing sixth in the 100m final and anchoring Jamaica to a silver medal in the women’s 4x100m relay.
It marked a fitting conclusion to an 18-year career that yielded multiple Olympic medals and five world titles in the 100m.
“Finishing for me is really just knowing that I gave everything. I left everything on the track, and I walked away feeling satisfied with everything that I’ve been able to do over the course of my career,” she said.
While the final season did not unfold exactly as she had envisioned, Fraser-Pryce said the medal in Tokyo gave her closure.
“It might not have been a gold medal, but I made a final, and I walked away with a medal. It was a great way to close that chapter.”
Her final months on the track included a bittersweet farewell at the Jamaican National Championships, where she soaked in the adoration of her home fans one last time, marking the end of an era for one of sprinting’s most decorated athletes.
Now retired, Fraser-Pryce is embracing a period of reflection and transition.
“It has been 18 years. You still will have to go through the process. This was something that I loved. It was a daily routine. It was a part of who I am,” she disclosed.
As she steps away from elite competition, her focus has shifted to life beyond the track, growing her business ventures, expanding her foundation, and, most importantly, being present as a mother.
“I’m really just being a mom right now. I’m giving my son 100 per cent of what I’ve given to track. Right now, he’s at a football competition, and I realised that I felt contented in that space,” she disclosed.
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