The women’s 100-metre final produced one of the most dramatic upsets of the Paris Olympic Games. The 100-metre sprint is the Blue Riband event of every Olympic Games. Nothing matches the drama of a ten-second competition in which crowns and kingdoms are won or lost forever.
In Paris it was an unknown runner named Julien Alfred from the tiny island of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean Sea who destroyed a star-studded field that included two of the USA’s most high-profile runners. Sha’Carri Richardson of the USA was the hot favourite to win this race while her compatriot Melissa Jefferson was another runner who was much hyped by the US media.
But Julien Alfred left everyone shocked. Halfway through the race, she charged ahead of the rest of the pack. She hit the tape with a clear lead over everyone else. Her time was 10.72 seconds. Richardson with 10.87 was second and Jefferson with 10.92 was third.
Made people aware of her country
Julien’s dramatic victory left everyone asking the question: “She is from Saint Lucia? Where is that?” So Julien has now made people aware of the land that she hails from.
Saint Lucia is a small island and is a part of the group of islands that make up the West Indies. It is located in the eastern part of the Caribbean Sea.
The total population of Saint Lucia is about 1.8 lakhs. That too came as a shock to many. In Hyderabad and Secunderabad one single locality has more people than the entire population of Saint Lucia. The island is dominated by the presence of volcanic mountain peaks.
Birthplace of Darren Sammy
Where sports is concerned, cricket is the most popular sport and West Indies cricketer Darren Sammy is the most successful player in recent times. There is a stadium on the island that has been named after him.
Compared to the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, and other nations competing in the Paris Olympics, Saint Lucia is far behind in sports infrastructure and system. Julien spent her formative years studying on the island before moving to Texas for higher studies.
First rose to prominence
While studying in the USA, Julien began to win a few inter-collegiate races. Three years ago when she won an inter-collegiate race with a time of 10.81 seconds, she drew the attention of track experts. Here was raw talent coming to the fore. In 2023 she won the 100-metre race in the Central American Games and followed up with a gold medal in the World Indoor Championships earlier this year.
A big mistake
Yet the American runners as well as their media refused to pay any attention to the threat that was building up in the form of Julien. They continued to focus on their achievements and timings and never spared a thought to counter Julien. That was their big mistake.
In Paris, Julien shot out of the blocks and thundered down the track. At about the 60-metre mark, her American rivals began to fade as she turned on the heat. Her smooth but powerful strides took her ahead with every stride and when she finished, she had a convincing margin over her two American rivals. Her victory should serve as a lesson to the big names from the big countries to never take the small nations for granted.
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