Julien Alfred upsets Sha'Carri Richardson in 100-meter dash

PARIS -- Julien Alfred delivered a brilliant gun-to-tape performance to win the women's 100 meters final on Saturday and claim Saint Lucia's first-ever Olympic medal.

Alfred made her usual slick start and remained clear in heavy rain on a sodden track to come home in a national-record 10.72 seconds.

World champion and race favorite Sha'Carri Richardson took silver in 10.87 but the American never really threatened, while her compatriot Melissa Jefferson claimed bronze in 10.92.

A notable absentee from the final was Jamaican double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who missed her semifinal after security officials at the Stade de France refused to let her in.

--American Ryan Crouser became the first man to three-peat in the Olympic shot put, adding another gold medal to his packed trophy cabinet with a mighty throw of 22.90 meters.

His compatriot Joe Kovacs won silver and Jamaica's Rajindra Campbell took bronze.

Crouser, the world record holder, battled a nerve issue in his elbow this year but had no issues at the Stade de France as he produced his best throw of the season on his third attempt and clapped with satisfaction.

The win underlined the United States' total dominance of the event, as they have now won 20 men's Olympic shot put gold medals. The next-closest country is Poland with three.

A two-time world champion, Crouser clapped his hands and cheered as he posted 22.64 on his opening throw that would have been good enough to get him to the top of the podium.

Crouser, 31, urged on the crowd before making his second attempt and pumped his fist after throwing 22.69. The fans erupted as he improved that mark with the third throw to follow up his gold medals in Rio and Tokyo.

Rain began to spit down midway through the competition and several competitors slipped, including Crouser, who had fouls on his next two attempts and did not make a sixth throw, having locked up the gold.

Kovacs was fourth in the standings when he got onto the podium in dramatic fashion, heaving the shot 22.15 on his final attempt.

--Femke Bol ran a stunning last lap to lead the Netherlands to victory in the Olympic 4x400-meter mixed relay, glorious redemption for the 24-year-old who fell just before the line in the same race at last year's world championships.

Bol got the baton in fourth place, around 20 meters behind the leading Americans, but ate up the ground in a spectacular 47.93-second leg before passing American Kaylyn Brown just before the line.

The Dutch team of Eugene Omalla, Lieke Klaver, Isaya Klein Ikkink and Bol clocked three minutes and 7.43 seconds, missing the world record time the Americans set in Friday's heats by just two-hundredths of a second.

The U.S. took the silver medal in 3:07.74 and Britain claimed bronze in 3:08.01.

--Reuters, Special to Field Level Media