Sports
Julien Alfred Outpaces Sha’Carri Richardson to Advance to Olympic 100m Final
Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia dominated the Olympic 100-meter heats on Saturday, finishing first and advancing to the final later that night. Sha’Carri Richardson overcame a slow start to secure the second spot and also qualify for the final.
In a highly anticipated race featuring the two fastest Olympians in the field this year, Alfred secured the victory with a time of 10.84 seconds, a full body length and .05 seconds ahead of Richardson, the reigning world champion.
The race took an unexpected turn with the absence of Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who was a scratch from the semifinal heat. The two-time Olympic champion’s sudden withdrawal means she will not contend for a third gold medal in the event. No reason was immediately given for her absence.
Richardson and Alfred were the only two competitors in the Olympic field this year to have cracked 10.8 seconds, making their showdown one of the most anticipated of the semifinals.
In the final, Richardson will face a fierce lineup, including her training partners Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry, as well as Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, the eighth-fastest woman of all time.
