Alfred flies to the 100-meter gold, big confusion about Fraser-Pryce
Gina Lückenkemper's dream of qualifying for the Olympic 100m final remains unfulfilled, even in Paris. Gold goes to the outstanding Julien Alfred, who gifts her country, Saint Lucia, its first-ever Olympic medal.
Julien Alfred crossed the finish line, briefly confirmed what everyone had seen - that she had won Olympic gold in the 100m - before breaking down in tears on the purple track. In her thoughts, she was with the most important person she's had to do without for 11 years. "I think of God, my father, who couldn't see this. He passed away in 2013. Dad, this is for you. I miss you. I did this for him, for my coach, and for God," said Alfred emotionally. She outran the competition in 10.72 seconds.
The 23-year-old's victory was no surprise. Alfred is the 60m indoor world champion and already highly decorated. However, before the final, all attention was on two other names. World champion Sha'Carri Richardson of the USA wanted to overcome her Olympic trauma and seemed to have all the chances. Just before the Summer Games, she clocked a 10.71 in Eugene, still the best time of the year. Richardson, currently the subject of a Netflix documentary, had solidified her claim to gold. The biggest rival was expected to be Jamaican sprint veteran Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. However, she surprisingly did not start in the semifinals.
Big Stir over Sprint Grandma
Her absence raised many questions. What happened? The International Athletics Federation later mentioned an injury as a possible reason. However, there's another story circulating on social media, based on videos. Apparently, the veteran and three-time Olympic champion was denied entry at a stadium gate and arrived late. She was seen arguing vehemently. "I noticed she wasn't let into the stadium while standing at the fence. I've never seen anything like it," reported Gina Lückenkemper, who narrowly missed the final by just 0.02 seconds (11.08).
Alfred, on the other hand, lived her dream. She dominated the race from the start, came out of the blocks perfectly, built up top speed immediately, and flew away from the rest of the field with her long legs. She won comfortably ahead of Richardson (10.87) and the second American, Melissa Jefferson (10.92). While not as dominant as Usain Bolt once was, Alfred certainly had the Jamaican sprint legend as a role model. She watched all of Bolt's races that morning to prepare. It worked: The 23-year-old set a national record and won the first Olympic medal for her small Caribbean island nation.
Richardson tries to enjoy silver
Meanwhile, the colorful Richardson could only partially overcome her Olympic trauma. Despite her efforts to express satisfaction with her silver medal, she often looked up, giving thanks and greeting her late mother. Three years ago in Tokyo, she couldn't start because she tested positive for marijuana at the US trials. She learned about her mother's death during the qualifying rounds and wanted to numb her feelings afterward. Last year, she celebrated an outstanding comeback with World Championship gold.
Jamaica's sprint hopes were dashed in a bitter turn of events. While Fraser-Pryce missed the semifinals under still unexplained circumstances, Tokyo and Rio Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah had already withdrawn due to injury before the Games. Then, in Paris, the third member of Jamaica's power trio, Shericka Jackson, also bowed out of the 100m race due to a recent injury. The 30-year-old is now fully focused on her signature event, the 200m, where she has been crowned world champion twice in a row.
In Paris, where Gina Lückenkemper fell short of qualifying for the Olympic 100m final, Julien Alfred achieved an historic milestone, securing Saint Lucia's first-ever Olympic medal. Reflecting on her victory, Alfred dedicated her triumph to her father, who passed away in 2013.
