Saint Lucian sprinter Julien Alfred, 23, has made history by clinching her country's first-ever Olympic gold medal and first-ever Olympic medal in the women's 100m event on Aug. 3.

The results shocked fans and spectators alike who expected U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, 24, to be first.

Richardson had won gold in the 100m at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

Instead, the 23-year-old from a small Caribbean island with a population of less than 200,000, managed to beat the world champion with a timing of 10.72 seconds.

Richardson trailed just milliseconds behind at 10.87 seconds, clinching silver.

Historical day for the country

An hour before the race began, rain began pouring down onto the track, creating an even bigger challenge for the athletes.

Yet Alfred managed to beat all odds and clinch gold for Saint Lucia, leading to hundreds of fans back home breaking into cheers as she crossed the finish line.

WATCH PARTY: OLYMPIC GOLD 🇱🇨🎉🥇 pic.twitter.com/pRgNVPeoxM

— Tw!nkle ✨⭐️ (@HazelEyez552) August 3, 2024

"This is a historic day, and I am very happy that I can be part of that history," Saint Lucia Prime Minister Phillip J. Pierre told Jamaican radio station Nationwide90FM. "It is raining, but no one cares about the rain."

“I’m going to start crying. I’ve been trying to stay strong as much as possible. It means a lot to me, my coach, my country," Alfred told the Olympics News.

Alfred added that Saint Lucia barely had suitable facilities, and hope the gold medal will help the country build a new stadium to help the sport grow.

Alfred will be participating in the women's 200m heats

Alfred will be participating in the women’s 200m event later at 10:55am (4:55pm) on Aug. 4, in the first heat.

27-year-old Singaporean sprinter, Shanti Pereira, will also be competing in the fifth heat of the same event.

Top image via @WorldAthletics/X and Olympics website.