Sha’Carri Richardson’s comeback story hit a brick wall Saturday when Julien Alfred romped to the 100-meter title in 10.72 seconds to blow away the field and bring the first-ever Olympic medal to her island country of Saint Lucia.
Racing one lane to the left of Richardson, and with rain puddling on the purple track in the Stade de France, Alfred got off to a fantastic start and beat Richardson by .15 seconds — about three body lengths.
Richardson’ training partner, Melissa Jefferson, finished third in 10.92
Richardson overcame a slow start Saturday to qualify for the Olympic 100-meter final later that night despite finishing second to Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia.
In a race featuring the two fastest Olympians in the field this year, Alfred finished in 10.84 seconds, a full body length and .05 seconds ahead of the reigning world champion.
Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was an unexpected scratch from that semifinal heat, meaning the two-time Olympic champion will not race for a third gold medal in the event. No reason was immediately given for her scratch.
Richardson and Alfred came in as the only two in the Olympic field to crack 10.8 seconds this year.
In the final, Richardson will go against her training partners, Melissa Jefferson and Twanisha Terry, along with Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith, who is the eighth-fastest woman of all time.
Fraser-Pryce’s withdrawal means the entire podium from the last Olympic 100, including Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah, will not be in the final this time.
In that race, Richardson will try to become the first U.S. woman to capture Olympic gold in the sport’s marquee event since Gail Devers in 1996. Marion Jones won the 100 in 2000 but later had the medal stripped for doping.
Other medals on the line Saturday were for the men’s shot put, the women’s triple jump, the 4×400 mixed relay and the decathlon.
Earlier in the day, Noah Lyles finished second (10.04) in a sluggish first-round qualifying heat to make the semifinals in the men’s 100. The semifinals and finals for that are set for Sunday.