Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred created a surprise in the women’s 100m final by becoming the new Olympic champion and frustrating the golden dream of the big favourite, the American Sha’carri Richardson, who had to settle for silver in a race that has been the centre of attention at the Paris 2024 Games.
Alfred, who had given a very good impression in the semi-final, had a better start than the American. Victim of his poor start, he could only climb back to second place.
The Santa Lucía native won with a time of 10 seconds and 72 hundredths (10.72), compared to 10.87 for Richardson and 10.92 for fellow American Melissa Jefferson, who took the bronze medal.
Another bell rings in France
Thanks to Alfred’s triumph, the Stade de Saint Denis, officially the Stade de France, has once again witnessed a historic event in the world of sprinting. Twenty-one years ago, the men’s 100m world champion was crowned by a Caribbean-born Kim Collins from St. Kitts and Nevis. Now the representative from the island of St. Lucia has triumphed against all odds.
Everything was ‘prepared’ for Richardson, who has dominated speed in recent times and achieved a magnificent triple at the World Championships in Budapest last year, to end the United States’ curse in the event, but it was not to be.
Since Gail Devers won in Atlanta 1996, no American has stood on the top step of the podium, although Marion Jones was withdrawn from the Sydney 2000 Games due to doping. Jamaica had dominated the last four Games with an iron fist, two with Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce and two with Elaine Thompson-Herah. But neither of them was in the final due to injury.
Thomson-Herah did not even compete at Paris 2024 due to an Achilles tendon problem, and Fraser-Pryce withdrew on Saturday just before competing in the semi-final round, also with physical problems.
Richardson completed the formalities to easily qualify for the final with the second overall time (10.89), tied with Jamaican Rajindra Campbell, who embodied the ‘resilience’ of the once dominant team.
Both were only beaten by Julien Alfred (10.84) from Saint Lucia, who was doing great, but few thought that Richardson would let such a great opportunity slip away. However, her mistake in the start (the worst reaction capacity with 0.221) proved fatal.
Where does the champion reside?
Alfred, a 23-year-old resident of Austin, Texas, USA, had finished fifth at the World Championships in Budapest, ahead of Sha’carri. This time she took advantage of the situation.
She was one of the best at the start (0.144) and displayed all her power to complete the surprise on the wet track of Saint Denis, giving the first Olympic medal in history to Saint Lucia, leaving a feeling of surprise very similar to that of the aforementioned Collins more than four decades ago.
She stopped the clock at 10.72. Richardson fought back and fought back, but could only manage second place in 10.87, and her compatriot Melissa Jefferson rounded out the podium in 10.92. One of the most coveted and longed-for victories after so many years of Jamaican dominance was lost to the United States.
King Crouser did not forgive
The one who did not forgive was the king of shot put, the also American Ryan Crouser, who made history by becoming the first to achieve three consecutive titles in this athletics event.
The 31-year-old athlete from Portland (Oregon) won the Parisian coliseum with a best time of 22.90 m in a very consistent opening series, his best time of the season, and strangely in his career he had not come to these Games with the best world time of the year (third with 22.84).
For the third consecutive Games, Crouser won a double with his compatriot Joe Kovacs, who in his last attempt sent the shot put to 22.15 meters and took the silver by having a second-best throw than Jamaican Rajindra Campbell, who prevented the United States from taking the podium for the eighth time, as Payton Otterdahl was fourth with 22.03.
The world record holder, with 23.56, and current world champion, took the lead from the first throw with 22.64, and improved his mark in the next two with 22.69 and 22.90, throws that were unattainable for the rest of the finalists. He then caused two draws and, with the title in his pocket, gave up the last one.
With this victory he becomes the historic king of the weight class, leaving behind his compatriots Ralph Rose (two golds and one silver in 1904, 1908 and 1912) and Parry O’Brien (two golds and one silver in 1952, 1956 and 1960), and the Polish Tomasz Majeswki (champion in 2008 and 2012).
Femke Bol created another frustration for the United States
An impressive final leg by Dutch sprinter Femke Bol also spoiled the party that the United States was planning in the mixed 4x400m relay, by snatching away a gold that they thought they had in their grasp after winning at the World Championships in Budapest and breaking the world record in the semi-final with 3:07.41.
The world champion in the 400m hurdles took over from the American Kaylyn Brown at a considerable disadvantage. The Dutchwoman overtook one rival after another until she overtook the American team on the finishing straight to win the title together with her teammates Eugene Omalla, Lieke Klaver and Isaya Klein Ikkink, with a European record (3:07.43).
Vernon Norwood, Samier Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylyn Brown took silver in 3:07.74, with Samuel Reardon, Lavial Nielsen, Alex Haydock-Wilson and Amber Anning delivering Great Britain bronze in 3:08.01.
Thea Lafond extends her position as Yulimar Rojas’ crown bearer
The Caribbean party in the Saturday round was completed by the Dominican Thea Lafond, who took over the vacant throne left by the Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas, who, injured, could not aspire to revalidate the crown that she has worn without any opposition.
Without Iván Pedroso’s pupil, four-time world champion and gold medalist in Tokyo 2020, the triple jump offered a new queen with Lafond, the world indoor champion who arrived with the best world mark of the year (15.01 m) and claimed victory by one centimetre more.
There were many contenders, but only Jamaican Shanieka Ricketts, with a best attempt of 14.87, and American Jasmine Moore, third with 14.67, left Cubans Liadagmis Povea (14.64) and Leyanis Pérez (14.62) out of the medals.
Norwegian Rooth dominated the decathlon
The title of most complete athlete at Paris 2024 went to the young Norwegian Markus Rooth, champion with 8,796 points to enter the ‘top 15’ of history and replace Canadian Damian Warner in the list of winners.
The first Norwegian to win the Olympic decathlon was Helge Lovland, 104 years ago in Antwerp 1920.
German Leo Neugebauer (8.748) and Granada’s Lindon Victor (8.711) accompanied him on the podium.
Paris / EFE
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2024-08-06 09:15:09
