SI

Saint Lucia Had Epic Watch Party for Country's First Olympic Winner, Julien Alfred

Alfred is the fastest woman in the world in the 100m.

Tim Capurso

Aug 2, 2024; Paris, FRANCE; Julien Alfred (LCA) a women's 100m round 1 race during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade de France. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 2, 2024; Paris, FRANCE; Julien Alfred (LCA) a women's 100m round 1 race during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade de France. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Saint Lucia sprinter Julien Alfred pulled off a stunner at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday, outpacing American and gold medal favorite Sha'Carri Richardson—who won the silver medal—in the women's 100m final to establish herself as the world's fastest woman in the race.

But that's not all Alfred accomplished with the victory. The 23-year-old sprinter won Saint Lucia's first-ever Olympic medal, making her dash historic.

And Saint Lucia was ready to celebrate in style, as the country set up a watch party complete with a massive projector screen for fans, who, unsurprisingly, went absolutely wild when Alfred crossed the finish line.

What an awesome way to celebrate the first-ever Olympic medal victory. And what a way to win it.

Alfred, one of the fastest women in the world in the 100m, exploded out of the starting block and jumped out to a quick lead she would not relinquish, finishing the race in 10.72 seconds, 0.15 ahead of Richardson.

Alfred was understandably emotional after the race, considering the journey she's had.

What a day for Alfred and Saint Lucia.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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