This was my first reaction when I heard this and then saw the video from inside the bus but I just got some on-the-ground intel.
So SAFP is correct on one thing - the gate was open yesterday for both team buses and walk-in athletes and they changed it overnight because athletes that come from the village on the bus are obviously already security cleared and can go through on the bus en masse - obviously walk-in athletes can't (they need to have bags inspected etc). So makes perfect sense to do that as it's a pure time and efficiency aspect.
However I was told that this was communicated very clearly to team management /athletes - so in the instance SAFP didn't know this is 100% on the Jamaican team management not informing her. The final part of this? The "other gate" in question - 125m (400 feet) away. So not really a massive inconvenience her to walk maybe a total of 250m to get through security and right back to the place the bus would have taken you anyway. Obviously if the alternate gate was say 500m away some common sense/flexibility could have been applied purely for today ie. let athletes in but tell anyone that comes through very clearly that as of tomorrow it's closed. But I don't think this really was necessary with an alternative entry so close.
I was then told that this ended up holding up the athletes on the bus for 10-15min as SAFP unfolded the drama which of course involved her using the "you know who I am" card, calling for upper management of security to come sport it out etc etc - not great.
The words said to me were "talk about entitlement" and "the issue is they get told YES to everything".
To throw a tantrum that held other competing athletes up, be unable to walk 125m to get in (Sha'Carri did) and then drop out of the event leaving a lane open? Not a good look Shelly-Ann. I'm on the side of the LOC (Local Organizing Committee) here - they did nothing wrong.
Something doesn’t smell right. Why would she be so stupidly egoistic (?) to throw away an Olympic semifinal to resist walking 125m? She’s never seemed like that kind of a contentious person on screen.
Let's just say the Jamaican generation switch haven't gone to well. SJ withdrew too late for a substitute to be entered and SAFP should have retired already after Tokyo or at least Budapest since she had nothing more to prove and haven't had for years.
Don't stay in the game so long that the young guns you block are starting to hate you instead of admiring you.
So embarrassing for Paris organization. To not allow a high profile athlete in because she didn’t come on the team bus?? Really embarrassing if true.
This was my first reaction when I heard this and then saw the video from inside the bus but I just got some on-the-ground intel.
So SAFP is correct on one thing - the gate was open yesterday for both team buses and walk-in athletes and they changed it overnight because athletes that come from the village on the bus are obviously already security cleared and can go through on the bus en masse - obviously walk-in athletes can't (they need to have bags inspected etc). So makes perfect sense to do that as it's a pure time and efficiency aspect.
However I was told that this was communicated very clearly to team management /athletes - so in the instance SAFP didn't know this is 100% on the Jamaican team management not informing her. The final part of this? The "other gate" in question - 125m (400 feet) away. So not really a massive inconvenience her to walk maybe a total of 250m to get through security and right back to the place the bus would have taken you anyway. Obviously if the alternate gate was say 500m away some common sense/flexibility could have been applied purely for today ie. let athletes in but tell anyone that comes through very clearly that as of tomorrow it's closed. But I don't think this really was necessary with an alternative entry so close.
I was then told that this ended up holding up the athletes on the bus for 10-15min as SAFP unfolded the drama which of course involved her using the "you know who I am" card, calling for upper management of security to come sport it out etc etc - not great.
The words said to me were "talk about entitlement" and "the issue is they get told YES to everything".
To throw a tantrum that held other competing athletes up, be unable to walk 125m to get in (Sha'Carri did) and then drop out of the event leaving a lane open? Not a good look Shelly-Ann. I'm on the side of the LOC (Local Organizing Committee) here - they did nothing wrong.
It is 100% okay to use the do you know who I am card in this instance, you clown. She is trying to get to thr start line for her race. Based on your comment I believe nothing you say.
Being a top athlete at the Olympics is exactly when "do you know who I am" reasoning should be used! They couldn't just glance in her bag and wave her through? Or even just let her in without checking her bag because she's, you know, one of the most famous athletes in history?
It is absolutely preposterous for ANY athlete, regardless of who they are, to expect they would be allowed into the facility without a standard bag check, particularly at that venue and with the elevated security concerns,
Some other sources reporting that she was refused entry because she didn't arrive on the team bus. Regardless of the reasons, surely the higher-ups should have intervened to ensure they can put on a better spectacle? I would much rather have preferred SAFP to be on the start-line of the final instead of some of the lesser known women.
‘Jamaica's Chef de Mission Ian Kelly soon cleared up the bizarre situation after revealing Fraser-Pryce was eventually let in but had to pull out after suffering an undisclosed injury during warm-ups. “There is no truth that she was not allowed to enter the stadium. Unfortunately she was not able to compete due to an injury sustained during her final warm-up," Kelly told Reuters.’
This post was edited 25 seconds after it was posted.
‘Jamaica's Chef de Mission Ian Kelly soon cleared up the bizarre situation after revealing Fraser-Pryce was eventually let in but had to pull out after suffering an undisclosed injury during warm-ups. “There is no truth that she was not allowed to enter the stadium. Unfortunately she was not able to compete due to an injury sustained during her final warm-up," Kelly told Reuters.’
HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU GUYS NOT TO BELIEVE WHAT YOU HEAR OR READ.
Including this latest bit.
There are lies, damned lies, and statistics…and then, sprints!
It's reported that both Sha'carri and SFP were refused entry, but somehow Sha'Carri made it in and ran her semi. Not sure why SFP didn't..?
She was injured
Even EuroSport announcers were jumping to conclusions... although possible she was initially denied entry, it didn't smell right to me. She would have simply made some phone calls and that would have been sorted. BUT I am also not sure I buy the injury announcement.
Let's just say the Jamaican generation switch haven't gone to well. SJ withdrew too late for a substitute to be entered and SAFP should have retired already after Tokyo or at least Budapest since she had nothing more to prove and haven't had for years.
Don't stay in the game so long that the young guns you block are starting to hate you instead of admiring you.
Yep and I doubt she was going to fight for a gold.
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