Julien Alfred is the speed queen; best time in 100m sprint

Women’s track and field speed queen surprise: St. Lucian Julian Alfred beats American favorite Shakari Richardson to win Olympic title In 100 meters, This Saturday in Paris.

Alfred was impressed 10.72, a new record for his country, Having never won an Olympic medal before, Richardson had to settle for silver (10.87), with fellow American Melissa Jefferson (10.92) taking bronze.

Julian Alfred said he was inspired by Jamaican speed legend Usain Bolt in the final moments of this final.

“I was watching their game this morning. I’m not going to lie, but I spent the morning watching all of Bolt’s races“,disclose.

The Saint Lucian said that after her win she thought of her father, who died in 2013: “I did it for him, I did it for my coach, I did it for God.”

Prior to this gold medal, Alfred’s greatest achievements were winning titles at this year’s Indoor World Cup and the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games.

– America will continue to wait –

Alfred had already warned Richardson in the semi-final held shortly before the final, dominating him in that match and both men advanced smoothly.

In the final, the Texan’s slow start hampered her and she was unable to make up for the loss to Alfred, who took centre stage in the rain at the Stade de France.

The Americans will have to continue waiting to regain Olympic sprint gold, which has eluded them since Gail Devers won on home soil in Atlanta in 1996.

For Richardson, the silver was his first Olympic medal in his debut at the event, three years after he missed the Tokyo Games after testing positive for marijuana.

He will not compete in the 200m as he did not qualify for the event and his only hope of winning a gold medal now rests with his country’s 4x100m relay.

Alfred succeeds Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah as the Olympic straight-line queen, having won the event in 2016 and 2021 but largely missing the event due to an unexpected injury sustained during preparation.

Jamaican Sherika Jackson also announced on Wednesday she would drop the 100m to focus on the 200m, while 37-year-old legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will also forgo competing in her fifth and final Olympics ahead of her semifinal.

The only Jamaican to make the final, Tia Clayton, could only finish seventh, second to last (11.04).

St. Lucia, a small Caribbean island south of the French island of Martinique, has thus emerged on the world track and field map with the greatest sporting achievement in its history. At 23 years old, Julien Alfred has certainly not said his last words yet.