PARIS, France — So close ... but just not close enough (for gold, at least).
Sha'Carri Richardson, the Dallas native and Team USA track star, won the silver medal in the 100m race Saturday at the Olympics, running a time of 10.87 seconds. Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia won the gold medal (10.72 seconds) and fellow American Melissa Jefferson won bronze (10.92 seconds).
The event was held at Stade de France, in a suburb just north of Paris.
Richardson was trying to become the first U.S. woman to capture Olympic gold in the sport's marquee event since Gail Devers in 1996. Marion Jones won the 100 in 2000 but later had the medal stripped for doping. Instead, Richardson comes away with second place in her first Olympic Games.
Richardson entered Paris as the favorite to win the gold medal. Her toughest competition in years past was the trio of Jamaican stars, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson. The shock of the day came when Fraser-Pryce, who was the only remaining sprinter of the three still competing, announced she was withdrawing from the race.
Thompson-Herah, the reigning champion, shut down her season earlier this year with an Achilles tendon injury, and bronze medalist Shericka Jackson announced this week that she was focusing on the 200.
Fraser-Pryce was among several athletes, including Richardson, who were blocked from entering the training track, the Jamaica team said on its social media site. The team said Fraser-Pryce was eventually let in. It did not say whether that played into her sudden scratch.
Richardson qualified for the final after finishing second in her semi-final to Alfred. In that race, Alfred finished in 10.84 seconds, a full body length and .05 seconds ahead of Richardson.
Richardson has been at her career-best in recent seasons, winning the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, with a personal-best time of 10.65 seconds. Richardson's personal-best time ranks tied for fifth all-time. Florence Griffith-Joyner set the world record of 10.49 seconds in 1988, and Thompson-Herah holds the Olympic record at 10.61.
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