Julien Alfred beats Sha’Carri to win Olympic 100m gold in athletics, puts Saint Lucia on the map

The 23-year-old claimed gold in a dramatic race, outpacing the highly favored American sprinter Melissa Jefferson amid torrential rain, while Britain’s Daryll Neita finished heartbreakingly in fourth place.

A new queen has emerged on the track, and her name is Julien Alfred. This morning, Alfred watched Usain Bolt win Olympic gold medals on YouTube. Later, she channeled her idol's spirit, leading from start to finish and dominating the women’s 100m final in pouring rain at the Stade de France.
She will be a lasting symbol of royalty in Saint Lucia as well. The small Caribbean island had never secured an Olympic medal, despite sending 31 athletes to the Games over the past three decades. None of them were quite like Alfred—timid and unpretentious, yet endowed with extraordinary speed. “National record” appeared on the giant screen next to her time of 10.72 seconds, in what might be considered one of the most inconsequential footnotes in Olympic history.
Behind her, American star Sha'Carri Richardson was never in contention and settled for silver with a time of 10.87. Her US teammate, Melissa Jefferson, claimed bronze with a time of 10.92, while Britain's Daryll Neita narrowly missed out, finishing fourth with a time of 10.96. Dina Asher-Smith did not qualify, having been eliminated in the semi-finals.

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