Caribbean island Saint Lucia, with 180,000 population, wins first-ever Olympic medal as Julien Alfred takes 100m gold at Paris 2024

By Anirudh

Modified Aug 03, 2024 20:13 GMT

Saint Lucia broke its duck in the Olympics in the most impressive manner possible, when Julien Alfred reigned supreme in the women’s 100m sprint at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Alfred registered a time of 10.72 to win the gold medal, which is also St. Lucia’s maiden medal in the Olympic Games. Her groundbreaking performance not only shattered the national record but also placed her among the top eight athletes of all time in the event.

She was in good form coming into the final, having recorded the fastest timing in the semifinal earlier on Saturday (August 3). Despite the rain that caused puddles to form on the Stade de France's iconic purple track, she remained undeterred.

The 23-year-old's remarkable performances this year have been a source of immense pride for St. Lucia. Earlier in the season, she became the first Saint Lucian to win a medal at the World Indoor Athletics Championships when she clinched the gold medal in the 60m event with a 7.02 effort.

Alfred's win was anything but a tight one. She won by 0.15 seconds, the biggest winning margin in a women’s 100m Olympic final since Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Meanwhile, the USA completed the podium. Sha’Carri Richardson, considered by many as the pre-race favorite, won the silver medal with a 10.87-second effort and Melissa Jefferson took home the bronze after clocking 10.92.

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Julien Alfred dents Sha’Carri Richardson’s comeback story

Sha'carri Richardson at the 2024 Paris Olympics - (Getty Images)

Sha'carri Richardson won the women's 100-meter dash with a 10.86-second effort in the United States Olympic Trials to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, she could not take part in the event as she tested positive for marijuana and had to serve a suspension.

Heading into the 2024 Paris Olympics, all eyes were on Richardson, the reigning world champion, as many expected her to make a strong statement in the French capital. While the American did well to clinch the silver medal in the women's 100m sprint, she was overshadowed by Julien Alfred, the 23-year-old who hails from a small Caribbean island with a population of just 180,000.

Running one lane to the left of Richardson, Alfred made a great start and powered through to beat the former by about three body lengths. The youngster's win does not come as a surprise, as she is the only other Olympic entrant besides Richardson to break the 10.8 mark this year.