SAINT-DENIS, France — The roar at Stade de France was the loudest for the American but after 100 meters on a purple track, Sha’Carri Richardson was in second, not first.
Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia spoiled the most important stop of the Richardson redemption tour, sprinting to the title of world’s fastest woman in 10.72 seconds Saturday night at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Richardson was second at 10.87 and her training partner, Melissa Jefferson, won bronze in 10.92.
It was Saint Lucia’s first Olympic medal in any event.
“I feel honored to be an ambassador for my country,” said Alfred, who is from a Caribbean island of just 180,000. “I was hoping we could get our first medal and it came as a gold, I’m sure they’re celebrating back home right now.”
It was Richardson’s first Olympic medal. She did not attend the mandatory post-race press conference. Neither did Jefferson, though she spoke to reporters briefly in the mixed zone.
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Jefferson said what she’ll remember most, after pushing through the finish line was “waiting for my name to pop up, seeing it and having a sigh of relief.
“I was hoping for a higher place,” Jefferson admitted. “But it was my first Games and I came out with a medal. Can’t complain about that … biggest thing I told myself was, ‘you are not going to leave here empty-handed’ and, here we go.”
The post-event press conference at the Olympics — or really, any major championship — is typically a joyful, friendly affair with medalists congratulating each other. This one was decidedly different, with only Alfred on stage fielding questions. She wasn’t upset about it, though.
“It’s my first time here, I’m not sure what to expect,” said the 23-year-old with a smile. “I’m just happy to be up here as an Olympic champion.”
Richardson will have another chance at a gold medal during the 4×100 relay. Still, it’s no secret she wanted the title of fastest woman in the world.
After what happened in Tokyo — or rather, didn’t, as Richardson wasn’t there — Richardson’s finish Saturday was both a crowning achievement and a crushing disappointment.
Richardson was the defending world champion in her premier event, having run 10.65, her personal best, in Budapest last summer. She had the fastest 100 time in the world this year (10.71) and was in good spirits after winning the U.S. track and field trials in June. She’s talked openly and repeatedly about being a better place mentally the last two years, and how it’s directly correlated to her success on the track.
The conditions Saturday evening were not ideal. A steady rain started falling about 10 minutes before the final started. (Alfred said it did not impact her.)
Additionally, there was chatter online that when Richardson first arrived to the stadium, she was denied entry to the warm-up area. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the 37-year-old Jamaican sprinting star who has won two Olympic golds in the 100, was also caught up in the warm-up snafu.
In an email, the Paris 2024 press office confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that, ‘in reference to videos circulating online, Paris 2024 can confirm that some athletes tried to enter the warm-up track at Stade de France through the wrong gate. They were redirected to the correct entrance and were able to access the venue.”
Reuters spoke with Jamaican chef de mission Ian Kelly, who told the outlet, ‘Mrs Fraser-Pryce was allowed to enter the warm up track but from another gate from which she was directed to enter from. There is no truth that she was not allowed to enter the stadium. Unfortunately she was not able to compete due to an injury sustained during her final warmup.’
It was clear when the sprinters were introduced that many in Stade de France were pulling hard for Richardson to get her storybook ending, especially after such a rollercoaster last few years.
Richardson dazzled at the 2021 trials, blazing to the 100 win in 10.86. Her brash, bombastic attitude — which had been on full display at LSU, where she decided to forgo her collegiate eligibility after just one season — delighted track diehards and casual viewers. She was expected to be a Tokyo superstar.
But when she tested positive for marijuana and received a one-month ban, which meant she would miss the women’s 100 final, she became everyone’s favorite online target instead.
Though Richardson shared that she smoked marijuana as a way to cope with the news of her biological mother’s sudden death, and even though weed is legal in many states, she was ridiculed roundly. Many of the attacks were racially tinged, and the then-21-year-old Richardson became defensive. She was snippy with the media, often refusing to talk. And when she bombed at the 2022 USATF national championships, missing another opportunity to compete on the world stage, there was speculation she’d never return to who she’d been in 2021.
The last two years proved that Richardson was more than capable of returning to world-class form, and Saturday showed it, too. Problem is, it wasn’t a championship form.
Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell
