PARIS —
All eyes were on American star Sha’carri Richardson, but Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred stole the spotlight during the 100-meter dash at the Paris Olympics.
Alfred finished with at time of 10.72 seconds, well ahead of the field for the gold medal. It was her country’s first Olympic medal and sparked celebrations in Saint Lucia.
Richardson — who missed the previous Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for marijuana — earned silver in the women’s 100 meters at Stade de France, finishing 0.15 seconds behind Richardson. American Melissa Jefferson finished third with a time of 10.92 .
Richardson, a 24-year-old Texan, is known for more than blazing speed, long nails and colorful, ever-changing hair. Raised by her grandmother and an aunt, she has been open about past tribulations in life and struggles with depression.
Earlier this summer, at the U.S. track trials, Richardson talked about maturing since the drug sanction that cost her a trip to the Tokyo Olympics. She arrived in Paris with the fastest time in the world this year, a world championship on her resume and a sense of purpose.