Sunday introduced jubilation to the Caribbean as St Lucian sprinter Julien Alfred and Dominican triple jumper Thea LaFond each secured their international locations’ first-ever Olympic medals, attaining gold of their respective occasions.
Julien Alfred, initially a lesser-known competitor, showcased her unimaginable athleticism by successful the ladies’s 100-metre ultimate on Saturday with a time of 10.72 seconds. The 23-year-old astonished each her rivals and the world, capturing the hearts of St Lucians together with her victory over US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, who claimed silver.
“It feels wonderful to be trustworthy,” Alfred shared with reporters. “After waking up this morning, I wrote it down: Julien Alfred, Olympic champion. Believing in myself and trusting that I might do it actually mattered. I’m nonetheless going by the motions; it hasn’t sunk in but. I needed to belief myself, my coach, and most significantly, God,” Alfred stated, as reported by the Caribbean Media Company information company.
St Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J Pierre, took to Fb to have fun the milestone: “At the moment is a superb day for OECS [Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States] member states and the Caribbean! St Lucia and Dominica have made historical past by successful our first Olympic medals and bringing residence gold.”
The thrill of Alfred’s win was additional elevated by Dominican jumper Thea LaFond, who clinched gold on Saturday with a leap of 15.02 meters. “That is for you guys,” LaFond stated from the Stade de France.
St Lucia, overlaying 238 sq. miles and residential to roughly 180,000 residents, and Dominica, with its 290 sq. miles and inhabitants of 71,000, each made historical past with their Olympic achievements.
Kenson Casimir, St Lucia’s Minister of Youth Improvement and Sports activities, expressed his pleasure, noting, “Julien has labored tirelessly and deserves this medal. Her achievement, together with LaFond’s, highlights the expertise pool within the OECS prepared for scholarships and growth.”
Casimir added, “Regardless of being small islands, we captured two gold medals in a single night time, plus a bronze within the decathlon by Grenada and gold for Dominica within the ladies’s triple bounce. This places a highlight on the OECS and its proficient athletes.”
He additionally congratulated Grenada’s Lindon Victor, who gained bronze within the decathlon, marking the nation’s second Olympic medal.
Jamaican athletes’ successes had been additionally acknowledged, even because the withdrawal of celebrated sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from the ladies’s 100-metre semi-finals was a notable disappointment.
