Sha’Carri Richardson finally got her moment on an Olympic podium on Saturday in Paris, but it wasn’t an American at the top.
Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred cruised to gold in the women’s 100-meter final, posting a time of 10.72 to easily beat out Richardson’s 10.87 and capture the tiny island nation’s first-ever Olympic medal.
Richardson woke up Saturday as the odds-on favorite, but it became clear during the semifinals that Alfred would give her a serious challenge as both first-time Olympians aimed for gold. Alfred’s 10.84 time edged out Richardson’s 10.89 in their semifinal heat, and that gap only widened in the final.
A HISTORIC finish in Paris as Julien Alfred become the FIRST athlete to win an Olympic medal for Saint Lucia! 🇱🇨 #ParisOlympicspic.twitter.com/XmL4EILxhP
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) August 3, 2024
Alfred is suddenly in the spotlight as the fastest woman in the world, and she didn’t leave much room for doubt.
Here’s what you need to know about Alfred, including her background and college career.
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Who is Julien Alfred?
Alfred is a 23-year-old sprinter who was born in Ciceron, Castries, Saint Lucia, a Caribbean island in the Lesser Antilles.
Alfred was raised in Saint Lucia but attended high school in Jamaica before committing to the University of Texas to run track. With the Longhorns, Alfred began to make her name as a potential Olympian. She set an NCAA record in the 60-meter in 2022 and won the NCAA national championship in the 100-meter and 4x100m relay at Texas the same year.
Alfred would add two more national titles in 2023, winning the 60-meter and 200-meter.
Texas’ track and field team celebrated Alfred’s victory on social media Saturday.
JULIEN ALFRED IS THE 100M OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST 🇱🇨🤘
Julien brings home the first EVER Olympic medal for St. Lucia with her winning time of 10.72🤘#FloKnows x #HookEm pic.twitter.com/kNKEq2G2Fl
— Texas T&F/XC (@TexasTFXC) August 3, 2024
While Alfred graduated in 2023, she proved to be fast enough that her track career wouldn’t have to end. She won the 60-meter final in the World Indoor Championships earlier in 2024, a year after winning gold in the 100-meter final at the Central American and Caribbean Games.
Alfred ran the fifth-fastest time in the first round of the 100-meter in Paris, running a 10.95. Her time of 10.84 in the semifinals easily cleared the rest of the field, and her 10.72 in the final was just stunning.
How old is Julien Alfred?
Alfred turned 23 on June 10. She is more than a year younger than Richardson and just a few months younger than Melissa Jefferson, who won bronze for the USA.
Richardson was set to be an Olympian in 2021 before a positive THC test made her ineligible for the games. She has long been on the world’s radar as a gold medal contender. Alfred, however, has been a more recent riser. She began to emerge as an Olympic hopeful in 2022 when she ran a 10.81 100-meter dash for the fifth-best mark of any sprinter all year.
MORE: Medal winners for each Olympic track and field event
How tall is Julien Alfred?
Alfred stands at 5-7, taller than fellow medalists Jefferson (5-4) and Richardson (5-1).
2020 gold medalist Elaine Thompson-Herah, the winner of the women’s 100-meter final in Tokyo, is 5-6.
Julien Alfred Olympic events
Alfred is also set to participate in the women’s 200-meter in Paris, though she won’t see Richardson there as the USA star did not qualify. American Gabrielle Thomas is among the favorites in the event.
Heats are set to take place for the 200-meter on Sunday, with the semifinals on Monday and the final on Tuesday under the lights.
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Publish date : 2024-08-02 13:01:00
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