Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred stunned Sha’Carri Richardson to win the Olympics women’s 100m gold medal on Saturday, etching her name into history to claim the Caribbean nation’s first-ever medal at the Games.
Alfred – who had never finished on the podium at a major outdoor championships prior to Saturday’s final – conjured a superb race to win in 10.72sec as the USA’s Richardson took silver in 10.87sec and compatriot Melissa Jefferson won bronze in 10.92sec.
Richardson’s comeback story hit a brick wall Saturday when Alfred romped to the 100-meter title.
Hoping to maintain her record as the fastest woman in the world, World 100 meters champion, Richardson earned a chance for Olympic redemption after winning the 100 at the US athletics trials in June, booking her ticket to the Paris Games.
“I feel honored,” Richardson said. “I feel every chapter I’ve been through in my life designed and prepared me for this moment.
“I cannot wait to go to Paris and represent.”
However, Alfred set a world record to win the women’s 100 meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France.
Racing one lane to the left of Richardson, and with water from a fast-moving storm puddling on the purple track in the Stade de France, Alfred got off to a fantastic start, then powered through the rain and beat Richardson by .15 seconds — about three body lengths.
