From a small Caribbean island lacking any Olympic history, a remarkable upset unfolded on Saturday night. Dressed in the pale blue of Saint Lucia, Julien Alfred outpaced the audacious Sha’carri Richardson in a way that caught everyone off guard.
Richardson crossed the finish line in second place, with a silver medal heading her way, her face a picture of disbelief.
Having faced a ban for marijuana use that led to her exit from the Tokyo Olympics, it was hard to foresee her downfall happening in such a dramatic fashion in Paris.
Yet this night belonged to a fresh name, a burgeoning talent, and what an extraordinary story it is. Just a year earlier, Alfred was making her mark in the American collegiate athletics scene, and now she shone brightly on the biggest stage.
Her stunning time of 10.72 seconds was particularly impressive given the heavy rain that had soaked the vibrant purple track for the preceding half hour, with temperatures continuing to drop.
Alfred was out of the blocks second quickest, with Britain’s Daryll Neita finishing fastest, ultimately securing a commendable fourth place. Meanwhile, Richardson appeared to struggle, getting upright as if dealing with a recurring back issue, looking beaten within the first 10 meters.
Though she managed to finish in second with a time of 10.87, which seemed reasonable among her peers, it fell far short of her best of 10.65 seconds. She lost by a considerable margin, with US teammate Melissa Jefferson finishing third ahead of Neita, who clocked 10.96 seconds.
Returning to Alfred, at just 23 years old, she brought home Saint Lucia’s first Olympic medal. Before this year, her best achievement had been a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. However, a spark of recognition ignited when she claimed the world indoor title in Glasgow this March, albeit without Richardson in the mix, making it feel somewhat hollow.
But Alfred defied the naysayers, first defeating Richardson in the semi-finals, marking her first loss in 13 months, and then delivering a stunning performance despite the torrential rain.
The excitement of the evening continued to build.
A glance at the starting line revealed notable absentees.
Among them was Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a seasoned contender for the title of the greatest in the sport, who suddenly vanished from the semi-final list before her race. Initially, speculations arose linking her disappearance to a struggle for warm-up access alongside Richardson, only to later clarify that a hamstring injury was the cause.
The result marked the absence of the 2008 and 2012 champion in this event.
At the age of 37, she was only expected to be a minor contender, but having earned medals in both 2016 and 2020, and running a 10.92sec in Friday’s heats, her age didn’t appear to be a hindrance. Nevertheless, her absence was a considerable loss for the event.
A more localized disappointment emerged with Dina Asher-Smith, who had faced hamstring issues prior to Tokyo and was seeking redemption. However, her form has been inconsistent since moving to Texas last year, and the 28-year-old’s best of the season at 10.96 seconds was far from her more competitive days.
After finishing her heat with a time of 11.01 seconds on Friday, there was hope that she might find her rhythm through the rounds, a strength she previously exhibited despite discussions surrounding relatively slower times among elite athletes. Sadly, reality set in during the semi-final where she clocked 11.10 seconds and finished fifth in what was considered the gentlest of fields, giving the impression of being adrift.
“I’m just disappointed because I’m in great shape and have been in great shape all season,” she expressed. “I fully expected to reach the final; the race wasn’t even fast.
“I know I’m in much better shape than that. I’ll move on to the 200 meters, but again, I’m truly disappointed. I should have made it.”
Taking center stage was Neita, who ran 10.92 seconds in the heats and dipped below 11 seconds again in the semi-finals with a time of 10.97 seconds, securing her spot in the finals for back-to-back Games. Following her eighth-place finish in Tokyo, she had achieved medals at both Commonwealth and European levels, and though she had blossomed later than most, her competitors possessed stronger credentials on paper.
Ultimately, the focus hinged on Richardson and Alfred, especially after the latter’s 10.84 second semi-final performance, with Richardson trailing by 0.05 seconds.
Yet, a semi-final is just a semi-final; in the final, Alfred rose to the occasion, celebrating amid the rain with jubilation, as the bell rang to herald a fantastic upset.
