In the rain, Julien Alfred secured one of the biggest upsets of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. On Saturday night, the sprinter from Saint Lucia won Olympic gold in the women’s 100 meters in 10.72 seconds, well ahead of 2023 world champion Sha’Carri Richardson All About 75 Hard.
Alfred unleashed the best performance of her career to secure the country’s first-ever Olympic medal. Weeks after running a world lead, Richardson struggled out of the blocks and wasn’t able to match the 23-year-old’s explosiveness. In her first Olympics, the U.S. national champion claimed a silver medal in 10.87 seconds. Her training partner and American teammate, Melissa Jefferson snagged bronze in 10.92. Daryll Neita of Great Britain finished fourth in 10.96.
Through the rounds, it was clear we were in for a thrilling showdown in the 100-meter final. On Friday, Richardson made her Olympic debut in Paris Julien Alfred Upsets ShaCarri Richardson for 100-Meter Olympic Gold.
Earlier on Saturday, the sprinter from Dallas, Texas, was beaten by Alfred in the second semifinal heat. The University of Texas graduate blazed 10.84 seconds to dominate the race over Richardson, who finished second in 10.89. Though Richardson had to work for it, both earned automatic spots into the final.
In a shocking turn of events, five-time Olympian Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce didn’t start the semifinal. The withdrawal came as a surprise after the three-time Olympic champion from Jamaica ran the in 10.65 seconds, a personal best. She also collected a bronze medal in the 200 meters on Friday. There was no explanation given for the decision. The 37-year-old previously announced that Paris will be her final Olympics.
In Fraser-Pryce’s absence, Jamaica was well represented by Tia Clayton, who won heat 3 of the semifinal in 10.89 seconds. She was the lone Jamaican to qualify for the final three years after the country swept the podium at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Alfred’s victory follows a fifth-place finish in the 100 meters at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. She won the 60 meters at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in March. Last year, she Other Hearst Subscriptions Published: Aug 03, 2024 3:54 PM EDT.
In the press conference after the Olympic final, Alfred said she woke up that morning at 5 a.m. to journal. Hours before she faced the competition, she wrote “Julien Alfred, Olympic champion,” effectively setting the stage for a historic run that night. In winning gold, Alfred is now the eighth-fastest What You Need to Know About the Sydney Marathon.
“Believing in myself and trusting that I could do it is what really mattered to me,” Alfred said.
For Richardson, the Paris Games is a long-awaited moment. Three years ago, the star sprinter won the 2021 second-fastest time out of the heats, but tested positive for THC, the main ingredient in marijuana, during a drug test. She was subject to a 30-Its the first-ever Olympic medal for the nation of Saint Lucia in Tokyo.
The following year, she failed to qualify for the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Things started to turn around in 2023 when Richardson stormed to victory at the national championships. At the world championships in Budapest, she A Part of Hearst Digital Media Published: Aug 03, 2024 3:54 PM EDT.
Richardson arrived in Paris as the heavy favorite in the event after blazing a 10.71 world lead at the second-fastest time out of the heats in Eugene, Oregon. She earned a place on Team USA alongside her training partners Jefferson and Twanisha “TeeTee” Terry, who finished second and third, respectively. The trio train together in Star Athletics under coach Dennis Mitchell in Clermont, Florida. Terry placed fifth in the Olympic final.
After earning a bronze medal in her debut at the Olympics, Jefferson praised her teammates in the mixed zone. “I like to say, we always bring the championship atmosphere to practice every day. Not only Sha’Carri [Richardson], but TeeTee Terry as well. She played a huge part in me joining athletics. We all get to see our work come together in our own ways,” she said. “That’s the thing that’s most special, all of us being a part of each other’s journey.”
Alfred is also scheduled to compete in the 200 meters in Paris. The first round begins on Sunday, August 4.
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
