Rematch at the Olympics: Sha’Carri Richardson defeats Julien Alfred
Sha’Carri Richardson exacted revenge on her 2024 Olympic setback in Paris on Thursday at the Diamond League track and field competition in Switzerland.
Richardson defeated Saint Lucian sprinter Julien Alfred in the 100-meter final one month after losing to her in the Summer Games.
In a scene straight out of Paris, the American sprinter fell behind Alfred early in the race, but in the last laps of the race, she rallied and overtook her opponent.
“This is probably the funnest race I’ve had all season,” Richardson said. “I took that time after the Games to come back, regroup and be able to show you guys the Sha’Carri Richardson y’all know.”
Richardson clocked in at 10.84 seconds on the wet track in Zurich, just four-hundredths ahead of Alfred, who took second in the race.
“I am just having fun. I am trying to finish strong. I really have not had the chance to take my medal in,” Alfred said after the race, per AFP News. “After Paris I went back to Texas, did some training. It has been up and down, I am still working on the fine-tuning.”
Richardson settled for the silver medal in the 100-meter on Aug. 3 after Alfred won in 10.72 ahead of the American’s 10.87.
The 24-year-old made a comeback to the Olympics after being disqualified from competing in Tokyo in 2021 due to a positive marijuana test.
During the U.S. Olympic trials, Richardson broke the world record in the 100 meters, clocking in at 10.71, almost edging out Alfred’s time from the Olympics.
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