DPA
Paris
Julien Alfred ran away from American world champion Sha’carri Richardson to win Olympic gold in the women’s blue riband 100m dash which is a first ever Games medal for her Caribbean home nation of St Lucia.
Alfred stormed down the wet Stade de France track for gold in 10.72 seconds. Richardson had 10.87 seconds for silver and the bronze went to her team-mate Melissa Jefferson 10.92.
The 60m world indoor champion Alfred had already made her intentions clear when she beat Richardson two hours earlier in the semi-finals.
She extended the US women’s 100m title drought until at least Los Angeles 2028. The last US gold was in 1996 from Gail Devers.
Jamaican 2008 and 2012 gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce pulled out just minutes before her semi-final, and compatriot 2016 and 2021 winner Elaine Thompson-Herah was not present in Paris due to injury.
BBC Sport addscTypeface:> With her first global outdoor title secured, a jubilant Alfred continued to sprint far beyond the finish line in celebration before tearing her pinned name off her vest and showing it to the crowd.
"I’m thinking of God [and] my dad, who didn’t get to see me,” Alfred said. "He passed away in 2013. Dad, this is for you. I miss you. I did it for him, I did it for my coach and God.”
Alfred announced herself at the start of this Olympic year by winning world indoor 60m gold - also a first by an athlete from St Lucia.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist has improved steadily during the season and set a new personal best - and national record – when she ran 10.78 at the start of June, before reducing her 200m best to 21.86 in London last month.
She has now delivered on the world-beating promise she has displayed - and will reset for the 200m in a bid for further history, inspired by Jamaica’s sprint king Usain Bolt.
"Usain Bolt won so many medals, I went back this morning and watched his races. I’m not going to lie, it was all Usain Bolt’s races this morning,” said Alfred.