American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson won her first Olympic medal but failed to defend her 100m World Championships title in Paris on Saturday afternoon as St. Lucia's Julien Alfred claimed gold.
Alfred became the first-ever Olympic medalist from the small Caribbean nation, home to just 178,000 people, making history despite heavy rain at the Stade de France .
The University of Texas graduate led off the starting block and maintained her advantage across 100 meters of slick purple track, crossing the finish line in 10.71 seconds. Richardson arrived shortly thereafter, winning silver with a 10.87-second finish, with her compatriot and training partner Melissa Jefferson rounding out the podium in third.
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Even after completing her historic sprint, Alfred ran on for likely another 100 meters while unleashing a series of victorious yells before she was quickly overcome by tears. Draped in the turquoise St. Lucian flag, Alfred and Richardson later embraced after the eagerly-awaited 100m spectacle.
Richardson is participating in her first career Olympics this summer but has been a rising star in the track and field world for a half-decade, first forging her legacy with the LSU track team. At the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Richardson shattered both the collegiate record and world U-20 record before forgoing the remainder of her eligibility to sign with Nike.
The young track star qualified for her first Olympics after a dominant showing in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials and was set to compete in the Tokyo Games, delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, her subsequent urine sample contained THC metabolites, with Richardson admitting to smoking marijuana to cope with her mother's death, and was controversially suspended for the 100m event.
Richardson continued her rapid rise through the track world despite her Olympic setback, posting a 10.65 at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest that saw her cruise to gold and set an all-time competition record. This success made Richardson an overwhelming favorite in Paris upon her qualification, with -275 odds to win gold in Saturday's race.
Alfred, comparatively, had the second shortest odds at +500, finding much of her initial track and field success in the 60m. Born and raised in St. Lucia, Alfred moved to Austin and attended Texas, becoming the first NCAA female athlete to complete the race in under seven seconds.
The 2022-23 Big 12 co-athlete of the year finished fifth behind Richardson in Hungary but won the 60m in Glasgow at the World Athletics Indoor Championships earlier this year. Saturday's event marked Alfred's first 100m victory in a global event.
The 100m in Paris also produced a scary moment for veteran Ivorian sprinter Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith, who pulled up short after 60 meters and was unable to continue the race. The former World Championships silver medalist's health status is unknown, but she was assisted off the track in tears by medical staff.
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