St. Lucia is an island with a population of 179,857 people according to the latest tally. The Eastern Caribbean island nation had never won a gold medal until sprinter Julien Alfred did it on Saturday, setting off celebrations at watch parties, homes and places of business across the country.
Footage surfaced amid a frenzy of activity at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. South Sudan supporter and ex-NBA star Luol Deng blasted the referees after the team's loss to Nikola Jokic's Serbian national team. Simone Biles' future plans were given a key update.
Alfred, 23, crossed the finish line as thousands of fans cheered, hugged and embraced each other. The video is showcasing residents of the island nation in a way that's never been seen before, amid what could be the biggest victory in the history of its sporting endeavors.
Julien Alfred thrills, delights a nation
Alfred participated in the women's 100-meters event, taking on a full roster of competitors.
She finished in 10.72 seconds, defeating Americans Sha'Carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson to secure gold.
“Hard to beat the feeling,” one fan said in response.
“And she torched them,” another reader added.
Alfred's winning margin was .15 seconds better than Richardson's amounting to the largest final winning margin in the Summer Olympics since 2008. She dusted Sha'Carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson in impressive fashion, calling to mind performances of all-time greats including Usain Bolt and Jackie-Joyner Kersey.
“The beauty of sports,” one fan added.
“That's awesome,” another fan tacked on.
Olympics continue with big Saturday night slate
The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics continued into Saturday night with big events scheduled until 11:30 p.m. ET on the Saturday TV schedule.
The Men's 100-meter Butterfly Final in swimming was scheduled for 8-11:30 p.m. ET. The Men's Track and Field's Shot Put Final was scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
The Women's Gymnastics Pole Vault Final was scheduled for 9 p.m. ET and Track and Field events for both sexes were scheduled until 11:30 p.m. ET, along with additional Women's Swimming events.
Alfred said prior to her historic victory that she grew up running barefoot around St. Lucia and becoming an Olympic champion. She idolized Usain Bolt and hoped to reach the same pinnacle of the sport as the Jamaican legend: winning a gold medal, or perhaps more, in the Olympics.
“I was picturing myself coming across the line and being an Olympic champion,” she said.
Alfred's run was the eighth fastest women's 100 in history and it took place on a rain-soaked track in Stade de France, located just north of Paris in Saint-Denis.
“My coach's message was to go out there, warm up confident and just trust myself and trust the training that I've done,” she added. “Yesterday, I was a bit nervous. I didn't know what I was doing to be honest. Today, I had to go out there and just have fun.”
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