Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has withdrawn from the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone on April 29. Thursday. According to a statement released by the organizers on Thursday, the five-time world 100m champion has been forced to withdraw from the meet because of a family emergency.

The two-time Olympic 100m gold medalist was expected to open her campaign on the African continent as she prepares to attempt to win a sixth 100m title at the World Championships in Budapest in August.

 “I was very excited to kick off my season on Botswana, and while it comes as a disappointment, I will unfortunately no longer be able to compete in the Golden Grand Prix due to a family emergency,” the superstar athlete was quoted as saying.

The organizers wished the global track star the best.

“(We) wish Mrs Fraser-Pryce and her family well, Whilst we were looking forward to having Mrs Fraser-Pryce kick off her season in Botswana, we are working on getting another athlete to fill the gap in the Women’s 100m race,” they said.

Fraser-Pryce kicked off her campaign in Nairobi, Kenya in 2022, running a world-leading 10.67. It was the first of seven times that she would run under 10.70s in the 100m for the season including at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon where she became the first running athlete to win five titles in the same event since the championships began in 1983.