Julien Alfred and Sha’Carri Richardson entered the 2025 season with sharply contrasting trajectories. Alfred, the reigning Olympic 100m champion, produced the most commanding form of her career, lowering her national record in the 200m to 21.71 seconds at the London Diamond League and matching that standard in the 100m with a series of sub-10.80 performances. Richardson, the world champion over 100m, endured a disjointed start, opening in 11.47 seconds in Tokyo and battling back from a February injury that slowed her preparation. Their differing fortunes had set the stage for a compelling meeting in the Diamond League circuit — until the plan fell apart.

Alfred’s progression in 2025 has been both decisive and sustained. She began her 200m campaign with a world-leading 21.88 seconds in

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