Sha'Carri Richardson missed out on the Olympic gold medal due to a sluggish start in the women's 100m final. The 24-year-old, who clinched gold at last year's world championships, had to settle for silver on Saturday as Julien Alfred of St. Lucia delivered a breathtaking performance to claim the gold.
This outcome was particularly disheartening for Richardson, who was competing in her first Olympic Games, three years after she was unable to compete in Tokyo due to a positive THC test.
In reviewing her performance, Richardson will likely pinpoint her slow reaction to the starting pistol as a key factor. The reigning world champion took 0.221 seconds to leave the blocks, the slowest of all eight runners in the final.
Richardson spent the entire race trying to catch up with Alfred, ultimately regretting her poor start. As the favored competitor, she had been a strong contender after missing the delayed Tokyo Olympics due to a suspension from Team USA. She tested positive for THC, a substance found in marijuana, which she later explained she used to manage 'emotional panic' after learning of her biological mother's death.
Additionally, just hours before the 100-meter final at the 2024 Games, two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica withdrew from the event before the semifinals.
The 37-year-old, who won the event in 2008 and 2012, was set to compete in the same heat as Richardson and Alfred.
She had previously announced that Paris would be her final Olympics, but did not provide an immediate reason for her withdrawal.
It was later reported that Fraser-Pryce, who will turn 38 later this year, withdrew due to a hamstring injury. Sources indicated that she sustained the injury during her warm-up before Saturday's semi-final.
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