Julien Alfred of St Lucia won the women’s 100 metres at the Paris Olympics in a national record of 10.72 seconds, upsetting world champion and fastest woman in the world this year Sha’Carri Richardson of the US who had to settle for silver.
Alfred, 23, became the first athlete from the tiny Caribbean nation of 168,000 inhabitants to win an Olympic medal. Richardson suffered a poor start in pouring summer rain, but rebounded in the final metres to claim second place in 10.87 seconds. Her compatriot and training partner Melissa Jefferson won bronze, narrowly edging Daryll Neita of Great Britain.
Constrained by resources at home, Alfred moved to Jamaica for high school and attended the University of Texas. Asked what her historic victory meant for St Lucia, Alfred said: “I’m really hoping we can get a new stadium, I’m really hoping we can help the youth in the country . . . to help them believe that even though they came from a small place in the Caribbean, they can make it out.”