Jamaican athletics legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was looking for the perfect Olympic ending at Paris 2024.
And – for a moment – it looked like she might be able to write it.
The two-time Olympic 100m champion stormed to a 10.92 time in her opening round heat in her signature event, a time that eventual bronze medallist Melissa Jefferson of the United States would match.
But a logistical nightmare ensued when Fraser-Pryce arrived for her semi-final race, only to be denied entry through the door she had used the day prior, she told Marie Claire.
“I was probably having a panic attack,” she later revealed. “I felt I could see it in front of me – and it was ripped [out of my hands].”
The incident threw the veteran racer off her usual routine, and after eventually gaining entry to the stadium and starting her usual pre-competition rituals and warm-ups, Fraser-Pryce decided to withdraw.
“I’m a warrior, I’m a fighter,” she said. “I love rising to the occasion. But I had to ask, what’s right for me?
“I’ve always done it for the flag and showed up to do it for my country,” the 38-year-old adds. “But what happened in Paris, that was a ‘me’ decision.”
It appeared like that could be it for Fraser-Pryce’s awe-inspiring career. Paris was to be her swan song, but she has slowly made her way back to the track for what she says will be her final season.
In May, she clocked an 11.05 time and last month, Fraser-Pryce punched her ticket to the World Championships later this year in Tokyo.
She’s embracing the challenge of writing that perfect ending – no matter the outcome.
“I’m not saying it’s easy, because it’s not,” Fraser-Pryce said. “You’re going to have challenges. But when I look in the mirror, I see a strong, fearless woman who’s about to do the impossible.”