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SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — There were subtle hints suggesting that sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson might not fully live up to the high expectations surrounding her.
Issues like wobbly starts, minor details, and a lackluster performance at the Olympic trials earlier in the summer hinted at potential challenges.
Despite the surrounding hype, Richardson was not guaranteed to win the 100 meters gold medal on Saturday. In a rainy and unusual evening at the Stade de France, Julien Alfred of St. Lucia emerged as a surprising contender, proving that there are multiple inspiring stories and exceptional sprinters at these Olympics.
Alfred navigated the puddles with ease and finished in 10.72 seconds, surpassing Richardson and the rest of the field. Her victory, by a margin of 0.15 seconds—the largest in the Olympic 100 meters since 2008—secured St. Lucia's first-ever Olympic medal of any color.
Alfred’s victory completed a journey that included her father’s death in 2013 and a move to Jamaica as a teenager, alone, in hopes of training to become a great sprinter.