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Julien Alfred finally broke Jamaica's dominance in sprints by winning the 100m at the Paris Olympics but her achievement was highlighted with key moments in her fruitful 2024 season.
Triple NCAA champion Julien Alfred graduated to become the best female sprinter in the world, winning three major titles this year.
She gave the first hint of her progress at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March where she won her first international title over 60m.
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10:00 - 20.12.2024
'It’s hard not to look ahead' - Fired-up Gabby Thomas ready to explode at LA 2028 as she chases Allyson Felix's record
Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas will hope to be in her imperious form as she chases her compatriot's record of seven Olympic gold.
Her main course was the Olympic gold medal, where she set a Saint Lucian record of 10.72 to upset the world champion Sha’Carri Richardson, who took the silver (10.87), with Richardson's training partner Melissa Jefferson claiming the bronze (10.92).
To cap it off, Alfred completed a dominant season by winning the Wanda Diamond League final in Brussels after cutting the tape in 10.88.
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16:30 - 19.12.2024
'There's always an inner voice criticising me' - Marcell Jacobs reflects on Paris Olympics struggles, eyes 2025 redemption
Italian Jacobs failed to replicate his imperious form in Paris but thinks 2025 is another opportunity for redemption.
Alfred became the first athlete from Saint Lucia, whose population is 180,000 people, to win both an Olympic medal and a gold medal, highlighting the Caribbean region’s position as the global cradle for sprinting.
The silver medal was Olympic redemption for Richardson and her winning time of 10.71 at the US Olympic trials in Eugene remained the fastest time of the year.
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12:31 - 19.12.2024
'Track is lost' - Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson takes swipe at football-mad England for ignoring athletics
Keely Hodgkinson has slammed England for preferring football and leaving athletics out of the picture despite the obvious talent.
The world’s most famous sprint nursery, Jamaica, was pushed off the Olympic podium for the first time since 1988. Seventh-placed Tia Clayton (11.04) was the best Jamaican finisher and also the youngest in the final at 19. She set a personal best of 10.86 to win her first national senior title in June.
Jamaica’s only international women’s 100m title in 2024 came from Alana Reid (11.17) at the World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru. Jamaica will have to look to this new generation for medal contenders at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
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