Julien Alfred Is Women’s 100m Olympic Champion, After Team GB Win First Medal On The Track

Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred has won the women’s 100m Olympic final in Paris in a blistering time of 10.72. She takes home Saint Lucia’s first ever Olympic medal. 

On a wet track in Paris, Alfred was fast out of the blocks and led from the beginning. Team USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson, who was one of the favourites alongside Alfred, finished second in a time of 10.87. Richardson was looking to win USA’s first women’s 100m gold since 1996, but she was never truly in a race dominated by Alfred. 

USA’s Melissa Jefferson finished in third (10.92), with Team GB’s Daryll Neita in fourth, a heartbreaking four-hundredths of a second from bronze. 

Alfred, who is the world indoor champion, was fastest in the semi finals, ahead of Richardson. The rain which fell in the 90 minutes between the semi and the final wasn’t enough to slow the women down, and Alfred’s time is the joint-eight fastest women’s 100m of all time. 

Earlier in the evening, Team GB’s Dina Asher-Smith was disappointed to run 11.10 and not make the final, and her attention now turns to the 200m – as does Neita. Imani Lansiquot’s time of 11.21 also meant she didn’t progress to the final. 

Ahead of the semi finals there was a shock when Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce didn’t compete. The holder of eight Olympic medals, including 100m gold in London and Beijing, and silver in Tokyo, Fraser-Pryce is the greatest woman’s sprinter of all time, and it’s a sad way for her to end her Olympic dominance. 

Julien Alfred will now line up in the women’s 200m, which begins on Sunday morning, hoping to add another medal from Paris. And you can bet that Sha’Carri Richardson will be looking for revenge, and to upgrade her silver. 

MIXED 4 x 400m BRONZE FOR TEAM GB!

Soon before the women’s 100m began, Team GB won bronze in the mixed 4 x 400m relay. The Dutch won gold with a sensational 47.93 final leg by Femke Bol, overtaking the USA a few metres before the finish line.

Samuel Reardon, Laviai Nielsen, Alex Haydock-Wilson and Amber Anning, plus Nicole Yeargin, who ran in the qualifying heat yesterday, take home Team GB’s first medal from the Paris track.

In the morning session, GB’s Louie Hinchcliff won his 100m heat, running 9.98 and finishing ahead of USA’s Noah Lyles, who is one of the favourites to become Olympic champion. GB’s Zharnel Hughes also progressed (running 10.03), but Jeremiah Azu was disqualified after a false start. 

And in the evening session, Team GB’s George Mills joined Josh Kerr in qualifying for the 1500m semi final, doing so via the repechage round. 

After the excitement of the women’s 100m final, tomorrow we’re looking forward to the men’s 100m.

Click here to see the full running schedule at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

Photo by Sam Barnes / Getty Images