Two Caribbean athletes just made history at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games—winning their countries their first ever Olympic medals. And not just any medals; both were gold.
Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred beat out Team USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson, the reigning World Champion who was heavily favored to take home the gold in the women’s 100-m sprint on Saturday. Alfred won the race by 0.15 seconds. Another American, Melissa Jefferson, took bronze.
In Saint Lucia’s capital of Castries, people gathered for a watch party celebrated while watching Alfred make history.
Brilliant – supporters in Castries, St Lucia watching Julien Alfred win their first ever Olympic medal as she won the 100m #OlympicGames pic.twitter.com/YNpBmn1eWn
— Declan Lee (@DeclanLeePR) August 3, 2024
That same evening, roughly an hour before Alfred’s medal, Thea LaFond made history for Dominica when she won the gold with a 15.02 meter jump in the triple jump—earning the country its first-ever Olympic medal.
FIRST OLYMPIC MEDAL EVER FOR DOMINICA!
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 3, 2024
Thea Lafond clinches #gold in women's triple jump!
This is Dominica's first-ever medal in ANY sport! @Worldathletics | #Athletics | #Paris2024 | #Samsung | #TogetherforTomorrow pic.twitter.com/up6I5LlfoS
Earlier this year, LaFond won the triple jump at the World Athletics Indoor Championship in Glasgow. “I am the only athlete here from my country, so to be able to come out and get the best possible outcome and put this little island on the map is a privilege,” she said after the win, according to worldathletics.org. “This one is for my people. I don’t even know what to say any more!”
Saint Lucia and Dominica have a combined population of roughly 250,000. Dominica began competing in the Olympics in 1993, while Saint Lucia made its Olympic debut in 1996.