Paris 2024: St Lucia’s Julien Alfred Edges Out Sha’Carri Richardson for 100m Gold

Julien Alfred delivered an outstanding performance to win the women’s 100 meters final in a rain-soaked Stade de France on Saturday, securing Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medal. The 23-year-old dominated from the start, finishing in a national record time of 10.72 seconds despite the heavy rain.

World champion and race favorite Sha’Carri Richardson secured silver with a time of 10.87, though she never posed a real threat to Alfred. American Melissa Jefferson claimed the bronze, finishing in 10.92.

Double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, competing in her fifth Olympics, was unexpectedly listed as ‘Did Not Start’ shortly before the semi-finals, leaving her lane empty. Social media footage later showed her and other Jamaican team members arguing with officials who seemed to be blocking her entry. Richardson was also seen waiting at the same gate.

Fraser-Pryce was heard saying, “They’ve changed the rules, we always come through this gate.” However, Jamaican Chef de Mission Ian Kelly clarified that her absence was due to an injury, not the gate issue. “There was an issue, but that was not the reason she did not run,” he told Reuters. “Mrs. Fraser-Pryce was allowed to enter the warm-up track but from another gate from which she was directed to enter. 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.”

With Fraser-Pryce missing, Richardson struggled out of the blocks and could not catch up to Alfred.

This race echoed last year’s world championships, where Richardson won the title from lane nine after barely making it into the final. However, this time, Alfred maintained her lead and finished strong for a historic gold.

Alfred, moved to tears, dedicated her victory to her late father. “He believed that I could do it. He passed away in 2013 – now he couldn’t get to see me on the biggest stage of my career,” she said. “Growing up, I used to run barefoot in my school uniform. We barely had facilities. I hope this gold medal inspires the youth and prompts the St Lucian government to invest in sports infrastructure.”

This result extends the United States’ gold medal drought in the event, last won by Gail Devers in 1996, as Marion Jones’s 2000 gold was stripped due to doping. It also ended Jamaica’s dominance in the women’s 100m, where they had won the last four Olympic golds and 10 out of 12 available medals.

Jamaica’s only finalist on Saturday was 19-year-old Tia Clayton, who won her semi-final impressively in 10.89 but finished seventh in the final with a time of 11.04.