The tracks must be crazy: Fraser-Pryce drawn against Sha’Carri Richardson and Julien Alfred in women’s 100m semis

Some may choose to call it premature, but lovers of athletics, especially sprint couldn’t have asked for more on Saturday when the draw for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games women’s 100m semi-final was revealed.

The draw paired two-time Olympic champion and, perhaps the most accomplished female sprinter, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica against reigning World Champion – Sha’Carri Richardson who is yearning to become the first woman from the US to clinch 100m gold at the Olympics since Gail Deevers last did at the Atlanta 96 Summer Games and St Lucian speedster – Julien Alfred.

Below is the full draw:

Semi-final 1

Z. Dosso [Italy]

R. Rosius [Belgium]

S. Forbes [Jamaica]

M. Jefferson [United States]

D. Asher-Smith [Great Britain]

E. Swoboda [Poland]

M.J. Ta Lou [Côte d’Ivoire]

M. Kambundji [Switzerland]

B. Takács [Hungary]

Semi-final 2

R. Chukwuma [Nigeria]

B. Masters [Australia]

I. Lansiquot [Great Britain]

G. Bass [Gambia]

S.A. Fraser-Pryce [Jamaica]

J. Alfred [Saint Lucia]

S. Richardson [United States]

P. van der Weken [Luxembourg]

G. Torres [Puerto Rico]

Semi-final 3

L. Bertrand [Trinidad and Tobago]

K. Maňasová [Czechia]

Z. Hobbs [New Zealand]

D. Neita [Great Britain]

A. Leduc [Canada]

T. Clayton [Jamaica]

T. Terry [United States]

G. Lückenkemper [Germany]

D. Nkansa [Belgium]

Only the top two from each semi-final will advance to the final with the next two fastest times qualifying.

By James K. Attaglo Wilson