Paris Olympics 2024: Why Julien Alfred defeating Sha’Carri Richardson was no fluke

American sprint star Sha’Carey Richardson entered the 2024 Paris Olympics as the favorite to win gold in the 100 meters, but no one could stop her from winning it: Jamaican trio Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (who withdrew from the semifinals due to injury), Elaine Thompson-Heller (who did not compete in Paris due to injury), or Sherica Jackson (who only competed in the 200 meters). Instead, another Caribbean athlete from the eastern island of St. Lucia made history by becoming the country’s first Olympic medalist in any sport.

Julian-Alfred led almost from start to finish at the Stade de France, beating Richardson by 0.15 seconds – the largest margin of victory in an Olympic 100m final since Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Usain Bolt each won by 0.2 seconds in 2008.

Alfred’s easy win may have been surprising given Richardson’s performance last year, but the win itself was no fluke. She may not have the name recognition of Richardson or the Jamaican star, but she has been a sprint sensation for many years and is only getting better.

Julian Alfred was one of the great collegiate sprinters in NCAA history.

Alfred was a phenomenal athlete at the University of Texas, winning the Bowerman Trophy (track and field’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy) and the Big 12 Women’s Athlete of the Year award for 2023. During her outstanding senior season, she set collegiate records in the 60 meters (6.94 seconds at altitude in Albuquerque) and 200 meters (22.01 seconds) and won two NCAA indoor titles.

Moving on to the outdoor season, she won three events in one day, the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, completing an astounding run of five NCAA titles in one year. Texas won its first team national title since 2005, thanks in large part to Alfred’s efforts. Alfred also won the 100m and 4x100m relay in 2022.

Alfred won gold in the 60m at the 2024 World Indoor Championships.

Earlier this year in Glasgow, Scotland, Alfred beat Poland’s Ewa Swoboda in 6.98 seconds to win St. Lucia’s first World Athletics Indoor and Outdoor Championships medal. Excelling in the 60m does not guarantee a high level of success in the 100m (and vice versa), but given that Alfred has the distance to run the 400m, her incredible combination of acceleration, endurance and power make her a special talent.

For comparison, Shacarie Richardson’s personal best in the 60m is 7.20 seconds, and she hasn’t competed in the event since 2020. She typically excels in the second half of the 100m, which is why her start will be so important.

Alfred defeated Shakari Richardson in his professional debut.

After finishing her athletics at the University of Texas, Alfred competed professionally in track and field, making her professional debut in the 100 meters in Hungary. Competing against Richardson, Twanisha Terry, and Paris bronze medalist Melissa Jefferson, Alfred dominated the field to win in 10.89 seconds, 0.08 seconds faster than Richardson. It was Shakari’s first loss of the season.

Richardson won the 2023 World Championships in Hungary just a month later, while Alfred finished fifth, just missing out on a medal. In their next meeting before the Olympics, Richardson beat Alfred by 0.1 seconds at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon, but Alfred now leads the series 3-2 after winning the semi-final and Olympic final.

Sometimes that’s really how it begins.

Shakyari Richardson’s weakest point may be his starts, especially his reaction to the starting gun. At last year’s World Championships, Richardson missed out on an automatic spot after a slow start and had a close call in the semi-finals, but still managed to get into the finals.

In the opening round of the preliminaries, Richardson’s reaction time was 0.2 seconds, the fourth slowest of the 72 competitors, but she still won handily. In the semifinals, her reaction time was 0.191 seconds, the slowest in the preliminaries and the second slowest of the 26 semifinalists, and she lost to Alfred. In the finals, Richardson’s reaction time dropped to 0.221 seconds, a time that was impossible to recover from, even for a competitor with top speed like her.

Alfred had a poor start in the semifinal (reaction time 0.171), but improved his time to 0.144 in the final, tying him with Melissa Jefferson for fourth-fastest time. The difference in quality of starts meant Alfred got an early lead that he was determined not to relinquish.

Alfredo already made a sudden return on Sunday, competing in his first race in the 200 metres. A race she has repeatedly stated she hates“Now she has a chance to win an Olympic double. The 23-year-old was always going to be a tough opponent for Richardson coming into the tournament and on Saturday night she proved why. As well as putting Alfred and St. Lucia on the sporting map, hopefully this result will be the start of another great rivalry between her and Richardson in the women’s 100 metres.