In an historic moment for the tiny Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, Julien Alfred secured the country’s first-ever Olympic medal, winning gold in the women’s 100m event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Alfred’s remarkable achievement was marked by a thrilling performance, as she crossed the finish line with a time of 10.72 seconds, edging out favorite Sha’Carri Richardson of the USA, who took silver.
The 21-year-old Saint Lucian sprinter’s victory has made waves throughout the athletics world and sparked jubilation among her compatriots.
Saint Lucia, with a population of just 179,857 people, had never previously won an Olympic medal.
However, the women’s 100m event was not without drama, as Jamaican legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrew from the semi-finals due to a hamstring injury.
Fraser-Pryce, who was set to line up in a star-studded semi-final that included America’s Sha’Carri Richardson and St. Lucia’s Julian Alfred in lane four, was handed a DNS by the race organisers.
The severity of the injury remains uncertain, but sources close to the athlete believe she felt something in the hamstring.
Alfred ended up winning the semi-final, with Richardson coming second.
Fraser-Pryce, a two-time Olympic champion, was considered a strong contender for the gold medal.
Attention shifts to the men’s 100m final on Sunday.
