Alfred storms to Olympic 100m gold in Paris

BBC | Julien Alfred stormed to the women's 100m title at Paris 2024 to make history as St Lucia's first Olympic medallist.

As the rain teemed down at a raucous Stade de France, Alfred, 23, dominated the final and took victory by a clear margin in a national record 10.72 seconds.

American world champion Sha'Carri Richardson took silver in 10.87, with compatriot Melissa Jefferson (10.92) third.

St Lucia, a Caribbean island of fewer than 200,000 people, has fielded athletes at seven previous Olympic Games without winning a medal.

But Alfred has broken her nation's duck - and takes home a stunning gold - following her heroics in a Paris downpour.

She did not look like being caught from the moment she hit the front, leaving Richardson among those in her wake as she took a commanding victory.

With her first global outdoor title secured, a jubilant Alfred continued to sprint far beyond the finish line in celebration before tearing her pinned name off her vest and showing it to the crowd.

"I'm thinking of God [and] my dad, who didn't get to see me," Alfred said.

"He passed away in 2013. Dad, this is for you. I miss you. I did it for him, I did it for my coach and God."

Alfred announced herself at the start of this Olympic year by winning world indoor 60m gold - also a first by an athlete from St Lucia.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist has improved steadily during the season and set a new personal best - and national record – when she ran 10.78 at the start of June, before reducing her 200m best to 21.86 in London last month.

Based in Austin, Texas, where she trains under coach Edrick Floreal and alongside Asher-Smith, Alfred reached the final in both the 100m and 200m at the 2023 World Championships - finishing fifth and fourth respectively.

She has now delivered on the world-beating promise she has displayed - and will reset for the 200m in a bid for further history, inspired by Jamaica's sprint king Usain Bolt.

"Usain Bolt won so many medals, I went back this morning and watched his races. I'm not going to lie, it was all Usain Bolt's races this morning," said Alfred.

Richardson settles for silver, Fraser-Pryce pulls out

For all eight athletes on the start line of the 100m final, there appeared to be a huge opportunity.

Reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, of Jamaica, had been ruled out of defending her title because of an Achilles tendon injury, while world 200m champion Shericka Jackson chose just to focus her efforts on that event in Paris.

Then, before the semi-finals on Saturday, the withdrawal of two-time champion Fraser-Pryce meant no Olympic medallists from Tokyo would be present.

Richardson lined up as the world's fastest woman this year after running 10.71 in June, but the American simply could not get close to Alfred on her Olympic debut.

Jefferson, 23, edged out Great Britain's Daryll Neita to claim her first individual global medal, having won successive world 4x100m relay golds.

Jamaican sprint icon Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrew from the Olympic 100m competition before her semi-final at Paris 2024 on Saturday.

The 37-year-old, a five-time world and two-time Olympic 100m champion, is competing at her final Games before retirement.

Fraser-Pryce qualified from her heat on Saturday but did not line up to compete for a place in the final.

But she could yet add to her total haul of 24 global medals as part of Jamaica’s women's 4x100m team, who won gold in Tokyo three years ago.

Fraser-Pryce was bidding to make the 100m podium at a fifth successive Olympic Games after being denied a third title by team-mate Elaine Thompson-Herah in Tokyo three years ago.

The third-fastest woman in history with a personal best of 10.60, Fraser-Pryce announced her decision to retire in February - 17 years after she first appeared on the global stage for Jamaica's 4x100m relay team at the 2007 World Championships.