Reigning world champion Sha’Carri Richardson earned a silver medal in the women’s 100-meter individual of the 2024 Paris Games in her Olympic debut. She finished with a time of 10.87 seconds, just behind Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred, who won in 10.72 seconds.
Alfred earned the first ever Olympic medal for her home country. Prior to Saturday’s 100m final, Jamaica had won four consecutive gold medals and claimed 10 out of 12 podium places in the last four Summer Games.
It was still not a bad day in the office for the Americans as Melissa Jefferson grabbed bronze in 10.92 seconds. While she did not reach the podium, USA’s Twanisha Terry also finished in the top five with a time of 10.97 seconds, just behind fourth-place finisher Daryl Neita (10.96) from Great Britain.
Despite some good efforts from the Americans, the gold medal drought continues as the United States has not won the top spot in this event since Gail Devers in 1996. Marion Jones had originally won in the 2000 Summer Games but was stripped of the gold medal for failed drug tests.
Richardson missed the 2021 Tokyo Olympics because she tested positive for marijuana, but the Dallas native was the favorite to win in Paris. Alfred beat her in the semifinal heat earlier on Saturday, giving fans a preview of her dominance. She was stronger than Richardson off the blocks, and despite the American making a last-ditch effort to catch her in the final meters, Alfred held on strong to take home gold.
It was an interesting day as rain started coming down ahead of the race, and one of the most recognizable names in track and field, Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, was a late pre-race scratch ahead of the semifinals. Fraser-Pryce was competing in her fifth and final Olympics. She is the sprinter with the third-best 100m time in women’s history.
