By Mitch Phillips
PARIS (Reuters) – Julien Alfred showed world champion Sha’Carri Richardson that she is going to have to find something extra to win the Olympic 100 metres title after beating her convincingly in their semi-final on Saturday.
Alfred, hoping to win a first Olympic medal of any sort for Saint Lucia, made her usual fast start and maintained her form to cross the line in 10.84 seconds.
American Richardson, just as she did in the semi-finals of last year’s world championships, was slow out of the blocks and, though she got nicely into her running, she was still adrift at the end in 10.89.
She will hope for a repeat of Budapest, when she sneaked into the final as a fast loser then won the title from lane nine.
Richardson is the fastest woman in the world this year with 10.71 and the United States’ brightest hope of ending a 28-year gold medal drought in the event since Gail Devers last won in 1996. Marion Jones was stripped of her 2000 Olympic gold medal for doping.
Richardson’s chances were boosted after double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrew before her race.
The Jamaican, competing at her fifth Games at the age of 37 and the winner of two golds, a silver and a bronze over 100m, had been due to run in the second heat.
Her absence comes after compatriot Shericka Jackson, the Tokyo bronze medallist, withdrew from the 100m on the eve of the Games to concentrate on the 200m.
Jamaica will still have a strong chance in the final, though, in the shape of 19-year-old Tia Clayton, who was very impressive in winning the third heat in 10.89 from Britain’s Daryll Neita and Twanisha Terry of the U.S. who both qualified
There will be three Americans in the final after Melissa Jefferson took the first heat in 10.99 ahead of evergreen Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith.
The final is later on Saturday at 21.20 local time (19.20 GMT)
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Ed Osmond)
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