Sprint: The World's Fastest Humans (2024) s02e03 Episode Script
Going For Gold: Part 1
1
[cheering and applause]
["Hymne à l'amour" playing]
[hip-hop music playing]
Yeah, uh ♪
[lyrics in French]
[announcer speaking French]
[announcer 2] Welcome
to the best athletes of the world.
Welcome, Olympians.
I'm bringing home a medal.
Speak French?
Do I speak French?
I know I don't.
Oui, oui.
I took French I in high school,
but I forgot,
so I gotta re-jog that memory.
What's up, Team USA?
This is Noah Lyles,
fastest man in the world,
and we are out here in Paris.
[crowd cheering]
[Noah] The Olympics
comes every four years.
They ask you to be your very, very best,
and that's what I'm gonna do.
[Fred] Bonjour!
In the Olympic Games,
I'm trying to go where no man been before,
and I know I'm capable of doing that.
[Gabby] Oh my gosh.
At the Paris Olympics, I'm going
to take all the excitement there.
Yeah, good, man.
[Michael] Everyone dreams of becoming
Olympic Champion.
- It's all about the Olympics.
- [Gabby] Ah!
Look at all this stuff!
This is actually very cute.
It's good! [chuckles]
Did I see the show Sprint?
I've fucking seen the show, and I love it.
Yeah, we going for the gold, baby.
[uplifting hip-hop music playing]
Big CEO that I'm ♪
[Allyson] When you
get on the starting line
and you know
that you're going to be a part of history,
it is the best feeling in the world.
[commentator] Now comes a night
one of these eight brave souls
will remember forever.
[mechanical clicking]
[boom]
[boom]
[swish]
[upbeat music playing]
Good luck. You've got the medal.
Let's go! Let's go! Yes, yes, thank you.
[Noah] Ooh, I've been waiting for Paris.
Good luck.
[Noah] We are done with Covid.
People are excited.
I am freaking ready.
I expect to see probably the greatest
Olympics that we've ever seen.
What's up? What's up?
- [man] How are you doing, man?
- Blessed and highly favored.
- [man] What's up?
- [Noah] Not much.
[sighs]
Well, if you thought the Olympic rooms
were fancy, you're sorely mistaken.
But all I need is a place to sleep.
- I, I am untouchable ♪
- Untouchable ♪
The way I make money ♪
They way I'm making moves
Is untouchable ♪
I am too not adjustable ♪
While you're shaken up
Make 'em all feel ♪
[Michael] Noah has positioned himself
in a very unique space
by saying, "I'm the favorite."
"I'm going to win."
He's unapologetic about that
and and unafraid to to to state it.
- [man] What color we coming home with?
- It's gold. All gold.
[Michael] And it is a game,
and I think he enjoys the game.
I study my competitors.
I know your weaknesses.
I know what your strengths are.
I'll be ready.
[whistle toots]
[energetic music playing]
[Noah] We as human beings are competitive.
We're ready.
I think I figured out how to do it right.
[Noah] There is nothing more pure than
"I'm faster than you."
It goes back to the dawn of time.
If you're faster, you're a better athlete.
- [Lance] See that foot being active back?
- [Noah] Mm-hmm.
- Yeah.
- Good.
- [Noah] It's right on top of it.
- [Lance] Yeah, right on top and close.
You can't ask for too much better.
[Noah] Right now, I do not hold
a gold medal in the Olympics.
And I'm planning on
leaving with a lot of those.
[boom]
[upbeat music playing]
Let's go!
Hut!
[woman] How's Kishane doing?
I don't know.
I haven't seen him in awhile.
[man] Where's Kishane?
You'll see him on the track.
9.77 and faster.
So watch the finals.
[quirky, energetic music playing]
[woman] Everyone's
been trying to get Kishane.
He does seem quite elusive.
Would you say that that's the case?
[sighs]
No, I would not say
that Kishane is elusive.
I think, uh
I think people who complain
of things or persons being elusive
generally just don't look
in the right places.
Listen, Kishane is over six feet tall,
and he is an imposing fellow.
He is very, very easy to find.
[hip-hop music playing]
Yeah, yeah ♪
Give it to me ♪
[Allyson] Kishane Thompson
is a little bit of a mystery.
He is new to the scene, but he has run
the fastest time in the world.
This year, Noah definitely saw that.
Could this be the start to a new rivalry
between the Americans and the Jamaicans?
Yeah, yeah ♪
[Kishane] My goal for the Olympics?
To, of course, win that gold medal,
and I will put
myself out there to do that.
I will shock this world.
My biggest rival
is Noah Lyles.
He is the world champion.
I won't be intimidated.
Eh
That hypes me up.
It's, "All right, let's do this."
Give it to me ♪
[upbeat music playing]
[Kishane] The Olympics, it will be
my first major international.
Yeah, man.
Very nerve-racking feeling. [chuckles]
But a nerve-racking and exciting feeling,
knowing that something special
is going to happen,
and it's just a piece of what to come.
I'm feeling it right in my belly ♪
Ah!
And I'm in time, big stepping ♪
East ♪
Anytime you want to ♪
[Michael] Kishane's confidence right now
has to be just soaring
because he is obviously
the new Jamaican hope for gold.
[camera clicks]
[man yells]
You got to keep pushing pressure.
In between the 10 and 15, you know.
Really push. Keep pushing at your angle.
One more to go, and that's it.
[Kishane] When I came on the scene
and I did a small glimmer
of what I am capable of,
they said, "All right.
About time he came into the fire."
And I'm in time, big stepping ♪
[Stephen] Run!
Anytime you want to, bring wreckage ♪
I'm like the dark horse. [laughs]
Can't test it, big stepping ♪
[man] Kishane Thompson looks really good.
How much of a mind job it is for him,
in terms of the type of athlete he is?
Because we know that Noah Lyles
loves playing the mind games.
Is that a discussion you've had with him
so he's not affected by it
when he's at the starting line?
Well, I think you'll find that he plays
mind games with those he is faster than.
So, uh, I don't think he will have
that much opportunity this time around.
Jamaica view track and field
as their holy grail.
The sprint nation.
They don't want to see
not getting the gold.
Mama made a competitor ♪
From day one, I've been ready ♪
And I'm still doubtin' nothing ♪
That's a handsome brother.
The king is back.
[Fred] The ultimate thing in
track and field is the Olympic gold medal,
and if I'm getting to the line,
I expect to win.
So it's just like,
you speak positive into your life,
positive come out of it.
- Guess what I'm gonna drop on your head.
- What?
- Nine-four.
- Oh my.
Stop playing with me, man.
[Fred] I'm very confident in everything
because why get into something
if you don't believe you're the best?
Why live if you don't believe in yourself?
[inhales sharply] Ooh!
See? That went to the glass real fast.
[Fred] When people doubted me
at USA Trials, I showed them.
So I'm gonna keep on showing people
what I am capable of doing
until they have no choice
but to ride my coattail.
They don't call me golden for no reason.
I believe I will break a record
every time I touch the track.
No, but I'm a realist.
I'm a realist too.
I ain't come from where you come from,
but I know where I come from.
[commentator] Hello and welcome
to Stade de France,
this magnificent sporting coliseum
dramatic enough to rival
the one in Ancient Rome.
[cheering and applause]
[boom]
[cheering and applause]
[energetic music playing]
[cheering]
[commentator] Qualification is going
to be absolutely brutal
for the men's 100-meter final.
[whistle toots]
Why you going at the king?
Why you going at the gods? ♪
When you know what we'll bring ♪
[announcer] Set.
Why you going at the king?
Why you going at the god? ♪
[Kishane] Noah Lyles is
an outgoing competitor,
but we'll see with me.
I mean, if he's hyped,
why shouldn't I be hyped too?
Ah!
[Noah] I wanna see him run fast
in front of everybody.
Not when you're at home.
[announcer] 100-meters men, good evening.
It's the first call for semifinals.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Lance] Take care of your business.
All right, let's go! Do your work!
[Allyson] Every athlete
wants to be in the final.
There is only eight opportunities
to get there.
And if you don't make it, you really feel
like your season was a waste.
The years that you poured
into having this Olympic moment,
which you don't know
how many you're gonna get.
[commentator] It's a loaded semifinal.
Every heat has four or five guys
for those two coveted spots.
- [cheering]
- [boom]
[commentator 2] Here's the lineup
for the first semifinals.
Noah Lyles, will he
turn up the heat in the semis?
Oblique Seville slowly
and surely going about his business.
[Oblique] Experience over the years,
it taught me a lot.
So it's a case of you training the mind
for competition.
I'm really mentally prepared.
[Noah] Oblique is looking really good.
[gunshot]
[Noah] I got beat by Oblique in Jamaica.
[boom]
[Noah] I didn't like that,
but that just fuels my fire.
This is our first time meeting since.
So let's go. Let me get my payback.
[dramatic music playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Oblique] When I line up
beside Noah Lyles,
a bit of nervousness is very good,
but I am so relaxed.
I've been working on my start
to get it perfect.
[commentator] This is about Lyles
and how emphatic the performance may be.
[Oblique] He is doing his thing.
I'm just doing my thing.
You have to just keep focused.
[announcer] Set.
[gunshot]
[cheering]
[commentator] Massive roar from the crowd,
and they explode into life.
Great start from Seville. He heads it.
[commentator 2] Look at Seville
checking him out there.
[commentator] Seville! 9.80!
Wow!
Well, he and Noah Lyles
were sharing glances
as they came down the home straight.
That was so, so impressive from Oblique.
Lyles in second with 9.83.
That's a business face.
I wonder if Kishane Thompson is aware
that his teammate, Oblique Seville,
has blitzed a 9.81 in the semifinals.
[indistinct chatter]
[boom]
[commentator] Three semifinals.
Only the top two guaranteed to come back
for one of
the most important occasions in sport.
[suspenseful music playing]
[commentator 2] The distinctive stare,
Kenny Bednarek.
And there is your Olympic Champion.
[Marcell in Italian] Once I won
the Olympics, I thought,
"Now I know how to do it,
everything will be easier."
The truth is, in that moment,
the hard part really began.
- [in English] It's the left side, right?
- Yeah, just this part here.
[Marcell] Last year
was really difficult for me.
A lot of injury. A lot of problem.
[grunts]
They need to restart from the beginning.
[in Italian] You are
the defending Olympic Champion.
You want to get there and prove that
what you did in the previous Olympics,
you can do it again.
I did everything I could
to get into top shape for the Olympics.
[announcer in English] Lane eight,
the defending Olympic champion for Italy,
Marcell Jacobs.
[cheering]
[Marcell in Italian] The pressure is huge.
I know that I can't make any mistakes.
[announcer in English] On your marks.
[suspenseful music continues]
[announcer] Set.
[gunshot]
[cheering]
[commentator] Fair start.
Out quick. Lamont Jacobs.
[speaking Italian]
[commentator] He's gonna hold on.
In the middle of the track,
it's Tebogo and Simbine.
Jacobs doesn't get the automatic spot.
He and Bednarek are in the hot seats.
[Allyson] To make it to the final,
you have to be top two in your semifinal.
If you aren't, you have to wait on time
to see if you're gonna be
one of the two fastest losers.
[announcer 2 speaking indistinctly]
[Allyson] I think it's
an awful place to have to be,
because all eyes are on you to see, "Okay,
are they gonna make it? Are they not?"
[Marcell in Italian] There's always
an inner voice constantly criticizing me.
I always think others are better than me
in everything they do.
But I believe
that this is not my last chance.
[boom]
[woman in English] The rules
are clear about outbursts
and disturbing other athletes.
So you guys do what you normally do,
but there were a couple
who were louder than usual
and were warned, okay?
[Kishane] Track and field is
an individual sport.
Everyone wants to win.
[commentator] Fred Kerley's
had a tricky year.
He's aiming to make a comeback here.
[Kishane] Everyone
is betting on theirself.
[commentator 2] Kishane Thompson,
the fastest man in the world this year.
How will he cope
with the pressure, though?
Untested in this kind of atmosphere,
in front of this kind of crowd.
[Kishane] I'm always betting on myself,
understand?
Listen, I come up from nothing ♪
Back then when I started with zero
Look at these hours I spend ♪
I made my move, but how about you? ♪
[song fades]
[cheering]
[commentator] Now it's time
for the last semifinal.
[dramatic music playing]
[Fred] Walking out the stadium, I only see
everything, like, black around me.
I don't really see the crowd.
I don't know nothing.
Everything is just tunnel vision.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Fred] I'm just seeing the finish line.
[commentator 2] Kerley looks close
to being back to his best.
[Kishane] Rise to the occasion.
Believe in yourself.
And always just focus.
[announcer] Set.
[gunshot]
[commentator 2] Away for the first time.
Good start from Kerley.
And Kishane Thompson's got
a little bit to do.
Now the Jamaican coming into his running.
Thompson looking around.
Kerley in second.
9.80, Thompson.
Yeah, you know we win ♪
You know we win ♪
You know we win ♪
[commentator 2] 9.84 for Kerley.
[indistinct chatter]
Kishane, 80. Fred, 84.
Simbine was 9.87.
Jacobs was 9.92
- Ninety-three out?
- No, sir. He's in.
Two persons are in.
Lamont Jacobs goes through
as a nonautomatic qualifier.
So does Kenny Bednarek.
We be sitting on top of the world ♪
They don't got a single thought
Or a curve in the line, whoa, whoa ♪
[laughs]
I got the crowd going ♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
Now everybody screaming ♪
[commentator] This final
is going to be absolutely epic.
How on earth
do you pick a winner from this?
Storyline gonna be crazy. I told y'all.
Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
He's got me feeling like ♪
[Noah] I've underestimated
the competition.
It's not the outcome we wanted.
We wanted to be able to win every round.
[Michael] You're always disappointed
in yourself as an athlete
when you get beaten by someone,
give them confidence,
or negatively affect your own confidence.
Being beaten by Oblique will affect Noah.
[Noah] I feel I do need to adjust
how I thought it would be, a little bit,
at the Olympics.
I thought it would feel more rewarding
in the moment.
[man] Noah! It's time to get them, Noah!
[Noah] This Olympics is
definitely harder than I expected.
[whistle toots]
[whoosh]
[upbeat acoustic music playing]
[woman] Thank you.
[Julien] Going into the Olympics in Paris,
I'm really hoping to execute
the 100 and 200 and leave with two medals.
Saint Lucia has never won
any medals before.
Never. At all.
So let's look for a man about them setup
'cause they supposed
to have a place for Saint Lucia.
- I could have sworn he said something.
- [man] Did you give him the flag?
[man 2] We have the flag.
- Let me call and see where he at.
- [man 2] Yeah, okay.
[man] I had a dream two weeks prior
to the Olympic Games that Julien will win.
And hopefully this one comes true.
Man was supposed to get a tent.
If you don't see Julien Alfred
as a threat going to the Olympic Games,
you're not focused.
- [Julien] Good morning.
- Good morning.
I've seen her grow
and be stronger at handling
the stuff that life throws at you.
And once you get to that point, you can
be worthy to be an Olympic champion.
There's another tent
for everybody to go chill in?
I think so, but I don't know
if Saint Lucia has one specifically.
- No, but I think that Really?
- Hmm-mm.
The big countries have one,
and then there's one
for the other small countries to share.
[Julien] Coming from a smaller island
and not being spoken of as much as, like,
the Americans and the Jamaicans,
I love it.
[Flo] We have time to take a small break.
I'd rather you have extra time.
[Julien] My country knows my potential,
and they're expecting so much from me,
but I think it definitely helps me.
- [Henry] Hi, Miss Alfred.
- Hello.
You're supposed to be happy to see me.
I'm the guy that keep things alive.
We're gonna go to 601.
Um, we're gonna put a mic on first,
and then they're gonna
pick out an outfit for you.
You ready?
[hip-hop music in French playing]
[woman] Greetings, everyone!
The best track and field athletes
in the world are gonna come on this stage.
[man] Shericka, what's going on? You good?
Yes, I'm okay.
I am so nervous.
I am nervous.
Shericka. Shericka.
Who break it?
Reading now. Reading now.
- They have it?
- Yeah.
- [man] You feeling good?
- Yes.
[man] When is your day?
Um
- Sunday.
- Sunday. That's a nice day to be running.
Julien, the news news news out now.
So the latest news is that
Shericka Jackson
will not run the 100 meter.
[mysterious music playing]
[Michael] Shericka is
in a very unique situation
because she's not early 20s.
She's 30 now.
Time is running out
for her to win the big one, the Olympics.
I don't know anything
about track and field.
Well, nothing about any other event
other than sprints.
I know a little bit.
[laughs]
[woman] Please put your hands together
and help me welcome Shericka Jackson,
Julien Alfred.
[applause]
- [woman] Julien, what've you been up to?
- I've been inside.
Staying out the way
and just trying to remain focused, um,
um, with my coach and with my countrymen.
[woman] So, Shericka,
you broke some news today.
So tell us the news you broke and why.
Well, you didn't break it.
They broke it for you.
I was just about to ask you,
what news did I break, but
[laughing]
I've heard about it. Um
[laughs]
Yes, I'm only running the 200 meter here,
and Yeah.
[woman] Yeah. Just period?
Just period.
Can you shed some more light
on why you decided
At what stage
was the decision not to compete
Well, I won't comment on that. Sorry.
We've heard the news. Are you okay?
I'm okay. I'm training.
- Any sadness that you're not doing both?
- No. Do I look sad to you?
Finding a little bit more time,
a few more days to be at your best?
Who say I'm not at my best?
[Allyson] It had to be
a very hard decision.
No athlete wants to pull out of a race
where you could walk away with a medal.
But I think
it is a smart decision for Shericka
to put all her energy into the 200.
The 200 is the race
where she is most dominant
and an incredible chance
for her to win gold.
Sometimes you have to make
a decision that's best for your body,
and I think, as I said,
we did that, and I'm okay.
I'm not doing any interviews.
- [man] Let me cut it down to one question.
- I couldn't half a question.
For Shericka to pull out of the 100,
Jamaica will look
to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
to be the success of the nation, really.
[scoffs] The semis are gonna be tough,
but if you can survive the semis,
you got a shot at the title.
[tense music playing]
Flip a coin on the champion.
I love Shelly. I love Shelly, but,
you know, this is a young person's game,
so Sha'Carri Richardson is very dangerous.
[singing indistinctly]
You don't need
anything else but who you are.
I wanna see that out there on that track.
Just who you are.
- Ain't nobody gotta be nothing better.
- Yes, sir.
- Understand?
- Yes, sir.
So we gonna be patient and be us.
- Yes, sir.
- You got me?
- Yes, sir. Let's rock.
- Let's rock, ladies.
Boom, bossy, attitude, bossy ♪
Not worried 'bout
What is gonna cross me ♪
Anywhere you find me
That's where the boss be ♪
[Dennis] Go!
Shinny, everyhing glossy ♪
[Dennis] It's been 30 years
since an American female
has won an Olympic gold medal
in the 100 meters.
And to achieve that goal,
that will be a great accomplishment.
I've always knew as a coach
that if I just had the right athletes
that we could break
the dominance of the Jamaican athletes.
That's where the boss be ♪
[suspenseful music playing]
[boom]
[commentator] You can sense
the tension beginning to rise
in this incredible sporting arena.
It's time for the semifinals
of the women's 100 meters.
I was born for this ♪
I never get bored of this ♪
I'm taking my time
And I'm taking what's mine ♪
You know, I'm born for this ♪
[Melissa] I'm gonna show you
that I'm here for a reason.
[TeeTee] It's my turn to do what I need
to do and showcase my talent.
[cheering and applause]
[commentator] Her face is
a picture of concentration.
We never going down ♪
We never going down ♪
[exhales]
Come on, baby.
[gunshot]
[crowd cheering]
Come on, girl. Keep coming! Keep coming!
[Dennis] I mean, just to get them
to the finals, that's the stress
because you have to go
through an entire world of girls.
Gotta move!
[commentator] Jefferson and Terry
take the two spots.
Yeah!
[Dennis] My athletes have a chance to
to do something really special.
We got a chance to win the thing.
[commentator] Brutal semifinal.
Fraser-Pryce, Julien Alfred,
Sha'Carri Richardson.
And only two are guaranteed
a place in the final.
[woman] Last call for 100-meter semifinal
for Fraser-Pryce, please.
Last call for 100-meter women's semifinal
for Fraser-Pryce, please.
[mysterious music playing]
[pundit] I've got
I've got some very big breaking news,
which you two
in particular will not be pleased to hear.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
is out of the semifinals.
[Ato] It was a shock to everybody.
Shelly-Ann was warming up.
Something starts to bug her in her leg.
She can't overcome it,
and that's why she has to pull out.
We would love to see
them go out in a blaze of glory.
Gold medal. World record.
Very rarely ends like that.
Shelly-Ann is out. Shericka is out.
So now, Sha'Carri's the favorite.
[commentator] Lane five. An open lane.
The absence of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
There's more elbow room
for Sha'Carri Richardson,
the reigning world champion.
[commentator 2] Focus. Focus. Focus.
That's all her face says.
[announcer] Set.
[gunshot]
[commentator] Juju Alfred out quick,
trying to hold that lead.
Come on.
[commentator] Now Sha'Carri Richardson
accelerating.
Julien Alfred
shuts it down.
She was chased the whole way,
and she flat beat Sha'Carri Richardson.
[Henry] You know how we talk about
the rivalry in the sprints
being the USA and Jamaica?
There's another nation
added to that party now. Saint Lucia.
[gunshot]
[commentator 3] She has got to get better
out of the blocks in the final
if Alfred is going to run the showdown
as well as she did there.
[Dennis] Testing that shit out.
[suspenseful music playing]
She had too much airtime on that start.
[Dennis] Sha'Carri didn't execute well.
- [Sha'Carri] Where we going?
- [man] I'm taking you this way.
[Dennis] Julien got a jump on her,
and she wasn't able to reel her in.
So my job with Sha'Carri is
to correct those things
before we get to the final.
[Dennis] What's up, baby?
Yeah, her transition was soft.
Now it's time to fight, man.
Time to fight.
We got it. We going to work.
We going to work, baby.
All right. Yo.
[thunder rumbles]
[thunder rumbles]
[Dennis] To be able to have
my three girls, you know,
all be in the finals at the Olympic Games
is a tremendous feat.
Time is now.
I'm looking forward to the battle.
[Dennis] God damn this rain.
[energetic music playing]
[commentator] An iconic moment of sport
is about to unfold in all its glory.
The rain coming down,
but it all adds to the occasion.
This is
the women's 100-meter Olympic final.
[Flo] I'm proud of you.
[Julien chuckles]
- [Flo] Just have fun. Have fun.
- [Julien] Okay.
Slow your heart rate down, okay?
Slow that heart rate down. Keep breathing.
- Keep breathing, okay?
- Yeah.
Don't let the moment get the best of you.
You were made for this.
- Okay.
- Come on, baby.
Come on, ladies. Everything you got, man.
Everything you got. All right?
You guys have worked hard for this.
You've got all the tools
you need to get this job done today.
Okay? All I'm asking for you to do
is put them tools out there
and let them go to work for you.
You see what I'm saying?
Trust what we know. Trust us.
- You got me?
- Yes, sir.
Let's do this thing tonight, ladies.
Let's go.
Boom.
Let's go, baby. Come on.
Come on, now. Let's go to work.
Let's go to work.
Let's go.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Julien] I do want
a gold medal at the Olympics.
I am up against Sha'Carri.
As much as, like, I think of her highly,
I have to also think of myself highly
and think of, like, this is competition.
It's really who wants it more.
I know what I'm here for.
I know what I can do.
I feel like this is my chance.
[Allyson] I think Julien's semifinal
gave her confidence,
because she controlled the race.
And I think any time
you can control a race
and there's, you know, big names in there,
it feels good to go
into the final having that confidence.
After kind of a rocky semifinal,
I'm sure that Sha'Carri
will experience disappointment.
I think that will be the fuel now.
And so, we all wanna see this race.
[announcer] Welcome
to the women's 100-meters final!
[boom]
[commentator] These incredible women
[announcer] 4x1 gold medalist
Twanisha "TeeTee" Terry!
[commentator] were just eight
little girls daring to dream
[announcer] Melissa Jefferson!
[commentator] that a night like this
might one day belong to them.
[announcer] Saint Lucia. Julien Alfred.
[commentator] And after a lifetime
of work and sacrifice,
at last it's their turn.
So here they stand in the pouring rain.
The best in their country.
The best on their continent.
Bidding to become the best in the world.
[Henry] Based on
everything else I've seen,
it's going to be very hard to beat her.
I believe she can win.
[cheering]
[commentator] And now
to the queen of sprinting.
The headline maker.
World champion.
Fastest woman in the world this year.
[crowd roars]
[commentator] Bidding to become the first
American female Olympic champion
over 100 meters
for almost three decades.
[Dennis] Sha'Carri
can get her start better.
If she does that, she will
be tough to beat anywhere on the earth.
Let's go, baby. This the one.
She has to deal with blocking out noise.
Gotta be able
to want to be the last one standing,
because that's what
being a champion is all about.
[commentator] This is
the women's 100-meter Olympic final.
[Melissa] If you don't believe
it's gonna happen, then it's not.
I have to fully believe in myself,
or else it's not gonna happen.
I'm not walking away empty-handed.
[Julien] You have to believe in yourself,
but you also know what's at stake.
I'm not only running for myself.
I'm running for these people
in my community.
I feel like
nobody can stop me now.
[energetic music playing]
[announcer] Set.
[gunshot]
[commentator] Alfred got
a brilliant start. She's away well again.
Richardson got left in the blocks!
Come on, baby.
[commentator 2] But look
at Sha'Carri Richardson closing in hard.
[commentator] It's a long time
since she's had to give chase!
[suspenseful music playing]
Let's go.
[yells]
[commentator] Julien Alfred,
the history maker! The gold medalist!
All the way! All the way! All the way!
Huh?!
[yells]
We are the fastest!
[cheering and laughing]
[commentator] Gold for Julien Alfred,
the Saint Lucian star!
They've never won a medal before,
and now they've taken
the best one of the lot!
[chanting] Juju! Juju! Juju! Juju! Juju!
[cheering]
[man] Saint Lucia!
The fastest in the world!
- [cheering]
- [chanting] Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
[bell clanging loudly]
[commentator] Julien Alfred
has stunned Richardson, the favorite.
The world champion was left in her blocks.
Richardson, the silver.
Jefferson, the bronze.
[Melissa] To just be in that moment
and know, like,
"Wow."
"I really did that."
Even though it's a bronze medal,
it's special.
Yeah, we just didn't take care
of that first 30 like we supposed to, man.
That's the last thing I told her,
but we're good, man.
I'm proud of my girls.
[Dennis] Did this race devastate us?
No.
Was it disappointing?
Yes.
Was it motivating?
More than anything.
[cheering]
[Henry] Juju!
[horns blowing]
[Julien squeals]
[Henry] Juju, it's you!
I told you! I told you that, huh?
- Your dream!
- [Henry] Yes!
I told I dreamed she won it!
- You did!
- Good job.
Thank you!
- Oh my God!
- [woman] Saint Lucia is proud of you!
[fans cheer]
- Good job.
- I don't think it's sunk in yet.
- No, trust me. Tonight it will.
- [chuckles]
Yeah.
You gotta cool down. Put on your tennis.
Put on your tennis so you can jog.
Cool down. Let me call now.
- Put your shoes in the bag.
- [line ringing]
[Julien] Growing up, I think that
saying that I wanted to be
Saint Lucia's first Olympic medalist,
it sounded like it was just a dream.
[Flo] Congratulations, Juju.
Thank you so much.
[Flo] Man, you've made my day.
I knew it. I knew it.
- I knew it. I knew it.
- [chuckles]
[Henry] She gotta
Let her jog up and down here.
[Julien] All I'm thinking about right now
is just that I have finally made it.
All my hard work
and all my sacrifices paid off.
It's almost like a relief
just seeing how far I've come.
A little girl
from Saint Lucia is finally here.
[emotional music playing]
[crying]
[Julien] I am the Olympic champion.
[crying]
- I'll tell you right now. I was so happy.
- [Melissa] Mm-hmm.
But I was so sad at the same time
'cause we didn't get that gold.
[Melissa] Yeah.
It was, like, mixed emotions,
but then it was like, "Okay."
Once I didn't see my name
come first or second.
[Dennis] Hey, but we had three girls
in the finals and two of the three medals.
That's a hell of a fucking day.
- Hell of a day.
- [Dennis] Hell of a day.
- [Melissa] Nobody else here doing that.
- Nobody else out here doing it.
[Melissa] And you can't
take it away from us.
[Dennis chuckles]
[commentator] Noah Lyles looking
less than 100% in the semifinals.
Finishing second. Having to work for it.
[emotional music playing]
[pundit] Noah Lyles. Everyone's
been saying he won't get on the podium.
If he doesn't get on the podium,
it's it's gonna be World War III
in terms of people coming at Noah Lyles.
'Cause he talks the talk, right?
He's always out there saying that,
"Yo, I'm the best."
"I'm the fastest man in the world.
I'm gonna beat everybody."
It's going to definitely come back at him
if he doesn't get on the podium.
- [Noah] The lightning bolt.
- [woman] Okay.
- [Noah] Definitely gonna do that star.
- Okay.
[Noah] And then we'll do that a few times.
- [woman] This star?
- [Noah] Yeah, those.
I'm gonna put your wrist on here.
Is that comfortable?
[Noah] With having the title
of being at the top,
you know, one mistake
can seem like the end.
You know, life works in ups and downs,
and I'm no different.
I'm a human being. I have ups and downs.
People see you as a superhero,
and then when they realize
that that illusion is broken,
you know,
they somewhat wanna blame somebody.
And the quickest person to turn to is
the person who gave them that illusion.
All right.
- [Keisha] Hug your mama.
- You're welcome. See you later. Thank you.
See ya.
[Keisha] Bye!
[Noah] We got the thumbs-up approval.
[Junelle] A lightning bolt? Why?
That means speed?
That mean you're gonna run fast?
I think of it meaning speed.
That's what they called me
in Time magazine.
- [woman] Period.
- The Flash.
[Noah] I'm not worried about anybody.
I'm worried about myself, you know.
Getting myself in the right mindset
is my goal.
Every Olympic medal
is served on a Louis Vuitton tray.
- [woman] I want a Louis Vuitton tray.
- I want a Louis Vuitton tray too.
[mouthing]
[Michael] Whether he succeeds or fails,
he's already getting
the backlash and the vitriol
that people don't like him.
People don't like what he's saying.
I think, though,
Noah is the one person
who's figured out how to handle it,
but I also wonder if
Noah has figured out that he needs that
in order to be his best.
- [Lance] Yeah.
- Thank you.
All right. Next time you come back,
Olympic champ.
- Olympic champion.
- [Lance] You hear me?
- Let's get this shit.
- Get it done.
- Good luck. See you.
- [Noah] Thanks, Coach.
[indistinct chatter]
[Paul] Execute.
[Kishane] I feel hyped about it
but not nervous.
Knowing that I can trust what I'm doing
and just believing
and try to execute as best as possible.
[Oblique] Everyone's goal is
to go out there and win.
That's my goal as well.
I want to go out there and win.
100-meters final. This is the last call
from the call room, please.
[Marcell] Before me, nobody in Italy
arrive in an Olympic final.
This is my second one.
So I'm really happy for that, but I am
really ready for going to war again.
[commentator] Olympic 100-meter drama
like we have never seen it before.
[suspenseful music playing]
[man] Are you ready? Here we go.
[cheering and applause]
[commentator 2] Fred Kerley.
He ran a terrific semifinal.
And maybe there's more there from Fred.
[Fred] I'm definitely coming back around
and coming back for everything I lost.
And I'm becoming more dangerous now.
[commentator] Can Kishane Thompson
hold his nerves in check?
[yells]
[commentator] Well, he looks ready.
I been at the top ♪
I still go the force
To get there again ♪
The god don't stop ♪
Just give me the mission
And I'm going in ♪
[Noah] I want to be
the fastest man in the world.
That's what I want. I'm gonna push for it.
I'm gonna try harder.
I'm gonna have faith
that it's gonna happen.
[Kishane] I'm actually faster
than this guy.
Understand?
I want accolades.
[dramatic music playing]
I want faster times.
I want gold.
[commentator] The tension in the stadium
is incredible.
[dramatic music continues]
[music fades]
[commentator] The entire world
prepares to hold its breath.
[announcer] Set.
[gunshot]
[crowd cheering]
I'm on the brink ♪
Of tasting the sun ♪
Gone in a blink ♪
What's done is done ♪
Shoving cotton in my ears ♪
Wished the water wasn't clear ♪
I fear ♪
That the day you recognize ♪
The lies behind these smiles ♪
You'll feel ♪
[music fades]
[cheering and applause]
["Hymne à l'amour" playing]
[hip-hop music playing]
Yeah, uh ♪
[lyrics in French]
[announcer speaking French]
[announcer 2] Welcome
to the best athletes of the world.
Welcome, Olympians.
I'm bringing home a medal.
Speak French?
Do I speak French?
I know I don't.
Oui, oui.
I took French I in high school,
but I forgot,
so I gotta re-jog that memory.
What's up, Team USA?
This is Noah Lyles,
fastest man in the world,
and we are out here in Paris.
[crowd cheering]
[Noah] The Olympics
comes every four years.
They ask you to be your very, very best,
and that's what I'm gonna do.
[Fred] Bonjour!
In the Olympic Games,
I'm trying to go where no man been before,
and I know I'm capable of doing that.
[Gabby] Oh my gosh.
At the Paris Olympics, I'm going
to take all the excitement there.
Yeah, good, man.
[Michael] Everyone dreams of becoming
Olympic Champion.
- It's all about the Olympics.
- [Gabby] Ah!
Look at all this stuff!
This is actually very cute.
It's good! [chuckles]
Did I see the show Sprint?
I've fucking seen the show, and I love it.
Yeah, we going for the gold, baby.
[uplifting hip-hop music playing]
Big CEO that I'm ♪
[Allyson] When you
get on the starting line
and you know
that you're going to be a part of history,
it is the best feeling in the world.
[commentator] Now comes a night
one of these eight brave souls
will remember forever.
[mechanical clicking]
[boom]
[boom]
[swish]
[upbeat music playing]
Good luck. You've got the medal.
Let's go! Let's go! Yes, yes, thank you.
[Noah] Ooh, I've been waiting for Paris.
Good luck.
[Noah] We are done with Covid.
People are excited.
I am freaking ready.
I expect to see probably the greatest
Olympics that we've ever seen.
What's up? What's up?
- [man] How are you doing, man?
- Blessed and highly favored.
- [man] What's up?
- [Noah] Not much.
[sighs]
Well, if you thought the Olympic rooms
were fancy, you're sorely mistaken.
But all I need is a place to sleep.
- I, I am untouchable ♪
- Untouchable ♪
The way I make money ♪
They way I'm making moves
Is untouchable ♪
I am too not adjustable ♪
While you're shaken up
Make 'em all feel ♪
[Michael] Noah has positioned himself
in a very unique space
by saying, "I'm the favorite."
"I'm going to win."
He's unapologetic about that
and and unafraid to to to state it.
- [man] What color we coming home with?
- It's gold. All gold.
[Michael] And it is a game,
and I think he enjoys the game.
I study my competitors.
I know your weaknesses.
I know what your strengths are.
I'll be ready.
[whistle toots]
[energetic music playing]
[Noah] We as human beings are competitive.
We're ready.
I think I figured out how to do it right.
[Noah] There is nothing more pure than
"I'm faster than you."
It goes back to the dawn of time.
If you're faster, you're a better athlete.
- [Lance] See that foot being active back?
- [Noah] Mm-hmm.
- Yeah.
- Good.
- [Noah] It's right on top of it.
- [Lance] Yeah, right on top and close.
You can't ask for too much better.
[Noah] Right now, I do not hold
a gold medal in the Olympics.
And I'm planning on
leaving with a lot of those.
[boom]
[upbeat music playing]
Let's go!
Hut!
[woman] How's Kishane doing?
I don't know.
I haven't seen him in awhile.
[man] Where's Kishane?
You'll see him on the track.
9.77 and faster.
So watch the finals.
[quirky, energetic music playing]
[woman] Everyone's
been trying to get Kishane.
He does seem quite elusive.
Would you say that that's the case?
[sighs]
No, I would not say
that Kishane is elusive.
I think, uh
I think people who complain
of things or persons being elusive
generally just don't look
in the right places.
Listen, Kishane is over six feet tall,
and he is an imposing fellow.
He is very, very easy to find.
[hip-hop music playing]
Yeah, yeah ♪
Give it to me ♪
[Allyson] Kishane Thompson
is a little bit of a mystery.
He is new to the scene, but he has run
the fastest time in the world.
This year, Noah definitely saw that.
Could this be the start to a new rivalry
between the Americans and the Jamaicans?
Yeah, yeah ♪
[Kishane] My goal for the Olympics?
To, of course, win that gold medal,
and I will put
myself out there to do that.
I will shock this world.
My biggest rival
is Noah Lyles.
He is the world champion.
I won't be intimidated.
Eh
That hypes me up.
It's, "All right, let's do this."
Give it to me ♪
[upbeat music playing]
[Kishane] The Olympics, it will be
my first major international.
Yeah, man.
Very nerve-racking feeling. [chuckles]
But a nerve-racking and exciting feeling,
knowing that something special
is going to happen,
and it's just a piece of what to come.
I'm feeling it right in my belly ♪
Ah!
And I'm in time, big stepping ♪
East ♪
Anytime you want to ♪
[Michael] Kishane's confidence right now
has to be just soaring
because he is obviously
the new Jamaican hope for gold.
[camera clicks]
[man yells]
You got to keep pushing pressure.
In between the 10 and 15, you know.
Really push. Keep pushing at your angle.
One more to go, and that's it.
[Kishane] When I came on the scene
and I did a small glimmer
of what I am capable of,
they said, "All right.
About time he came into the fire."
And I'm in time, big stepping ♪
[Stephen] Run!
Anytime you want to, bring wreckage ♪
I'm like the dark horse. [laughs]
Can't test it, big stepping ♪
[man] Kishane Thompson looks really good.
How much of a mind job it is for him,
in terms of the type of athlete he is?
Because we know that Noah Lyles
loves playing the mind games.
Is that a discussion you've had with him
so he's not affected by it
when he's at the starting line?
Well, I think you'll find that he plays
mind games with those he is faster than.
So, uh, I don't think he will have
that much opportunity this time around.
Jamaica view track and field
as their holy grail.
The sprint nation.
They don't want to see
not getting the gold.
Mama made a competitor ♪
From day one, I've been ready ♪
And I'm still doubtin' nothing ♪
That's a handsome brother.
The king is back.
[Fred] The ultimate thing in
track and field is the Olympic gold medal,
and if I'm getting to the line,
I expect to win.
So it's just like,
you speak positive into your life,
positive come out of it.
- Guess what I'm gonna drop on your head.
- What?
- Nine-four.
- Oh my.
Stop playing with me, man.
[Fred] I'm very confident in everything
because why get into something
if you don't believe you're the best?
Why live if you don't believe in yourself?
[inhales sharply] Ooh!
See? That went to the glass real fast.
[Fred] When people doubted me
at USA Trials, I showed them.
So I'm gonna keep on showing people
what I am capable of doing
until they have no choice
but to ride my coattail.
They don't call me golden for no reason.
I believe I will break a record
every time I touch the track.
No, but I'm a realist.
I'm a realist too.
I ain't come from where you come from,
but I know where I come from.
[commentator] Hello and welcome
to Stade de France,
this magnificent sporting coliseum
dramatic enough to rival
the one in Ancient Rome.
[cheering and applause]
[boom]
[cheering and applause]
[energetic music playing]
[cheering]
[commentator] Qualification is going
to be absolutely brutal
for the men's 100-meter final.
[whistle toots]
Why you going at the king?
Why you going at the gods? ♪
When you know what we'll bring ♪
[announcer] Set.
Why you going at the king?
Why you going at the god? ♪
[Kishane] Noah Lyles is
an outgoing competitor,
but we'll see with me.
I mean, if he's hyped,
why shouldn't I be hyped too?
Ah!
[Noah] I wanna see him run fast
in front of everybody.
Not when you're at home.
[announcer] 100-meters men, good evening.
It's the first call for semifinals.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Lance] Take care of your business.
All right, let's go! Do your work!
[Allyson] Every athlete
wants to be in the final.
There is only eight opportunities
to get there.
And if you don't make it, you really feel
like your season was a waste.
The years that you poured
into having this Olympic moment,
which you don't know
how many you're gonna get.
[commentator] It's a loaded semifinal.
Every heat has four or five guys
for those two coveted spots.
- [cheering]
- [boom]
[commentator 2] Here's the lineup
for the first semifinals.
Noah Lyles, will he
turn up the heat in the semis?
Oblique Seville slowly
and surely going about his business.
[Oblique] Experience over the years,
it taught me a lot.
So it's a case of you training the mind
for competition.
I'm really mentally prepared.
[Noah] Oblique is looking really good.
[gunshot]
[Noah] I got beat by Oblique in Jamaica.
[boom]
[Noah] I didn't like that,
but that just fuels my fire.
This is our first time meeting since.
So let's go. Let me get my payback.
[dramatic music playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Oblique] When I line up
beside Noah Lyles,
a bit of nervousness is very good,
but I am so relaxed.
I've been working on my start
to get it perfect.
[commentator] This is about Lyles
and how emphatic the performance may be.
[Oblique] He is doing his thing.
I'm just doing my thing.
You have to just keep focused.
[announcer] Set.
[gunshot]
[cheering]
[commentator] Massive roar from the crowd,
and they explode into life.
Great start from Seville. He heads it.
[commentator 2] Look at Seville
checking him out there.
[commentator] Seville! 9.80!
Wow!
Well, he and Noah Lyles
were sharing glances
as they came down the home straight.
That was so, so impressive from Oblique.
Lyles in second with 9.83.
That's a business face.
I wonder if Kishane Thompson is aware
that his teammate, Oblique Seville,
has blitzed a 9.81 in the semifinals.
[indistinct chatter]
[boom]
[commentator] Three semifinals.
Only the top two guaranteed to come back
for one of
the most important occasions in sport.
[suspenseful music playing]
[commentator 2] The distinctive stare,
Kenny Bednarek.
And there is your Olympic Champion.
[Marcell in Italian] Once I won
the Olympics, I thought,
"Now I know how to do it,
everything will be easier."
The truth is, in that moment,
the hard part really began.
- [in English] It's the left side, right?
- Yeah, just this part here.
[Marcell] Last year
was really difficult for me.
A lot of injury. A lot of problem.
[grunts]
They need to restart from the beginning.
[in Italian] You are
the defending Olympic Champion.
You want to get there and prove that
what you did in the previous Olympics,
you can do it again.
I did everything I could
to get into top shape for the Olympics.
[announcer in English] Lane eight,
the defending Olympic champion for Italy,
Marcell Jacobs.
[cheering]
[Marcell in Italian] The pressure is huge.
I know that I can't make any mistakes.
[announcer in English] On your marks.
[suspenseful music continues]
[announcer] Set.
[gunshot]
[cheering]
[commentator] Fair start.
Out quick. Lamont Jacobs.
[speaking Italian]
[commentator] He's gonna hold on.
In the middle of the track,
it's Tebogo and Simbine.
Jacobs doesn't get the automatic spot.
He and Bednarek are in the hot seats.
[Allyson] To make it to the final,
you have to be top two in your semifinal.
If you aren't, you have to wait on time
to see if you're gonna be
one of the two fastest losers.
[announcer 2 speaking indistinctly]
[Allyson] I think it's
an awful place to have to be,
because all eyes are on you to see, "Okay,
are they gonna make it? Are they not?"
[Marcell in Italian] There's always
an inner voice constantly criticizing me.
I always think others are better than me
in everything they do.
But I believe
that this is not my last chance.
[boom]
[woman in English] The rules
are clear about outbursts
and disturbing other athletes.
So you guys do what you normally do,
but there were a couple
who were louder than usual
and were warned, okay?
[Kishane] Track and field is
an individual sport.
Everyone wants to win.
[commentator] Fred Kerley's
had a tricky year.
He's aiming to make a comeback here.
[Kishane] Everyone
is betting on theirself.
[commentator 2] Kishane Thompson,
the fastest man in the world this year.
How will he cope
with the pressure, though?
Untested in this kind of atmosphere,
in front of this kind of crowd.
[Kishane] I'm always betting on myself,
understand?
Listen, I come up from nothing ♪
Back then when I started with zero
Look at these hours I spend ♪
I made my move, but how about you? ♪
[song fades]
[cheering]
[commentator] Now it's time
for the last semifinal.
[dramatic music playing]
[Fred] Walking out the stadium, I only see
everything, like, black around me.
I don't really see the crowd.
I don't know nothing.
Everything is just tunnel vision.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Fred] I'm just seeing the finish line.
[commentator 2] Kerley looks close
to being back to his best.
[Kishane] Rise to the occasion.
Believe in yourself.
And always just focus.
[announcer] Set.
[gunshot]
[commentator 2] Away for the first time.
Good start from Kerley.
And Kishane Thompson's got
a little bit to do.
Now the Jamaican coming into his running.
Thompson looking around.
Kerley in second.
9.80, Thompson.
Yeah, you know we win ♪
You know we win ♪
You know we win ♪
[commentator 2] 9.84 for Kerley.
[indistinct chatter]
Kishane, 80. Fred, 84.
Simbine was 9.87.
Jacobs was 9.92
- Ninety-three out?
- No, sir. He's in.
Two persons are in.
Lamont Jacobs goes through
as a nonautomatic qualifier.
So does Kenny Bednarek.
We be sitting on top of the world ♪
They don't got a single thought
Or a curve in the line, whoa, whoa ♪
[laughs]
I got the crowd going ♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
Now everybody screaming ♪
[commentator] This final
is going to be absolutely epic.
How on earth
do you pick a winner from this?
Storyline gonna be crazy. I told y'all.
Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪
He's got me feeling like ♪
[Noah] I've underestimated
the competition.
It's not the outcome we wanted.
We wanted to be able to win every round.
[Michael] You're always disappointed
in yourself as an athlete
when you get beaten by someone,
give them confidence,
or negatively affect your own confidence.
Being beaten by Oblique will affect Noah.
[Noah] I feel I do need to adjust
how I thought it would be, a little bit,
at the Olympics.
I thought it would feel more rewarding
in the moment.
[man] Noah! It's time to get them, Noah!
[Noah] This Olympics is
definitely harder than I expected.
[whistle toots]
[whoosh]
[upbeat acoustic music playing]
[woman] Thank you.
[Julien] Going into the Olympics in Paris,
I'm really hoping to execute
the 100 and 200 and leave with two medals.
Saint Lucia has never won
any medals before.
Never. At all.
So let's look for a man about them setup
'cause they supposed
to have a place for Saint Lucia.
- I could have sworn he said something.
- [man] Did you give him the flag?
[man 2] We have the flag.
- Let me call and see where he at.
- [man 2] Yeah, okay.
[man] I had a dream two weeks prior
to the Olympic Games that Julien will win.
And hopefully this one comes true.
Man was supposed to get a tent.
If you don't see Julien Alfred
as a threat going to the Olympic Games,
you're not focused.
- [Julien] Good morning.
- Good morning.
I've seen her grow
and be stronger at handling
the stuff that life throws at you.
And once you get to that point, you can
be worthy to be an Olympic champion.
There's another tent
for everybody to go chill in?
I think so, but I don't know
if Saint Lucia has one specifically.
- No, but I think that Really?
- Hmm-mm.
The big countries have one,
and then there's one
for the other small countries to share.
[Julien] Coming from a smaller island
and not being spoken of as much as, like,
the Americans and the Jamaicans,
I love it.
[Flo] We have time to take a small break.
I'd rather you have extra time.
[Julien] My country knows my potential,
and they're expecting so much from me,
but I think it definitely helps me.
- [Henry] Hi, Miss Alfred.
- Hello.
You're supposed to be happy to see me.
I'm the guy that keep things alive.
We're gonna go to 601.
Um, we're gonna put a mic on first,
and then they're gonna
pick out an outfit for you.
You ready?
[hip-hop music in French playing]
[woman] Greetings, everyone!
The best track and field athletes
in the world are gonna come on this stage.
[man] Shericka, what's going on? You good?
Yes, I'm okay.
I am so nervous.
I am nervous.
Shericka. Shericka.
Who break it?
Reading now. Reading now.
- They have it?
- Yeah.
- [man] You feeling good?
- Yes.
[man] When is your day?
Um
- Sunday.
- Sunday. That's a nice day to be running.
Julien, the news news news out now.
So the latest news is that
Shericka Jackson
will not run the 100 meter.
[mysterious music playing]
[Michael] Shericka is
in a very unique situation
because she's not early 20s.
She's 30 now.
Time is running out
for her to win the big one, the Olympics.
I don't know anything
about track and field.
Well, nothing about any other event
other than sprints.
I know a little bit.
[laughs]
[woman] Please put your hands together
and help me welcome Shericka Jackson,
Julien Alfred.
[applause]
- [woman] Julien, what've you been up to?
- I've been inside.
Staying out the way
and just trying to remain focused, um,
um, with my coach and with my countrymen.
[woman] So, Shericka,
you broke some news today.
So tell us the news you broke and why.
Well, you didn't break it.
They broke it for you.
I was just about to ask you,
what news did I break, but
[laughing]
I've heard about it. Um
[laughs]
Yes, I'm only running the 200 meter here,
and Yeah.
[woman] Yeah. Just period?
Just period.
Can you shed some more light
on why you decided
At what stage
was the decision not to compete
Well, I won't comment on that. Sorry.
We've heard the news. Are you okay?
I'm okay. I'm training.
- Any sadness that you're not doing both?
- No. Do I look sad to you?
Finding a little bit more time,
a few more days to be at your best?
Who say I'm not at my best?
[Allyson] It had to be
a very hard decision.
No athlete wants to pull out of a race
where you could walk away with a medal.
But I think
it is a smart decision for Shericka
to put all her energy into the 200.
The 200 is the race
where she is most dominant
and an incredible chance
for her to win gold.
Sometimes you have to make
a decision that's best for your body,
and I think, as I said,
we did that, and I'm okay.
I'm not doing any interviews.
- [man] Let me cut it down to one question.
- I couldn't half a question.
For Shericka to pull out of the 100,
Jamaica will look
to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
to be the success of the nation, really.
[scoffs] The semis are gonna be tough,
but if you can survive the semis,
you got a shot at the title.
[tense music playing]
Flip a coin on the champion.
I love Shelly. I love Shelly, but,
you know, this is a young person's game,
so Sha'Carri Richardson is very dangerous.
[singing indistinctly]
You don't need
anything else but who you are.
I wanna see that out there on that track.
Just who you are.
- Ain't nobody gotta be nothing better.
- Yes, sir.
- Understand?
- Yes, sir.
So we gonna be patient and be us.
- Yes, sir.
- You got me?
- Yes, sir. Let's rock.
- Let's rock, ladies.
Boom, bossy, attitude, bossy ♪
Not worried 'bout
What is gonna cross me ♪
Anywhere you find me
That's where the boss be ♪
[Dennis] Go!
Shinny, everyhing glossy ♪
[Dennis] It's been 30 years
since an American female
has won an Olympic gold medal
in the 100 meters.
And to achieve that goal,
that will be a great accomplishment.
I've always knew as a coach
that if I just had the right athletes
that we could break
the dominance of the Jamaican athletes.
That's where the boss be ♪
[suspenseful music playing]
[boom]
[commentator] You can sense
the tension beginning to rise
in this incredible sporting arena.
It's time for the semifinals
of the women's 100 meters.
I was born for this ♪
I never get bored of this ♪
I'm taking my time
And I'm taking what's mine ♪
You know, I'm born for this ♪
[Melissa] I'm gonna show you
that I'm here for a reason.
[TeeTee] It's my turn to do what I need
to do and showcase my talent.
[cheering and applause]
[commentator] Her face is
a picture of concentration.
We never going down ♪
We never going down ♪
[exhales]
Come on, baby.
[gunshot]
[crowd cheering]
Come on, girl. Keep coming! Keep coming!
[Dennis] I mean, just to get them
to the finals, that's the stress
because you have to go
through an entire world of girls.
Gotta move!
[commentator] Jefferson and Terry
take the two spots.
Yeah!
[Dennis] My athletes have a chance to
to do something really special.
We got a chance to win the thing.
[commentator] Brutal semifinal.
Fraser-Pryce, Julien Alfred,
Sha'Carri Richardson.
And only two are guaranteed
a place in the final.
[woman] Last call for 100-meter semifinal
for Fraser-Pryce, please.
Last call for 100-meter women's semifinal
for Fraser-Pryce, please.
[mysterious music playing]
[pundit] I've got
I've got some very big breaking news,
which you two
in particular will not be pleased to hear.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
is out of the semifinals.
[Ato] It was a shock to everybody.
Shelly-Ann was warming up.
Something starts to bug her in her leg.
She can't overcome it,
and that's why she has to pull out.
We would love to see
them go out in a blaze of glory.
Gold medal. World record.
Very rarely ends like that.
Shelly-Ann is out. Shericka is out.
So now, Sha'Carri's the favorite.
[commentator] Lane five. An open lane.
The absence of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
There's more elbow room
for Sha'Carri Richardson,
the reigning world champion.
[commentator 2] Focus. Focus. Focus.
That's all her face says.
[announcer] Set.
[gunshot]
[commentator] Juju Alfred out quick,
trying to hold that lead.
Come on.
[commentator] Now Sha'Carri Richardson
accelerating.
Julien Alfred
shuts it down.
She was chased the whole way,
and she flat beat Sha'Carri Richardson.
[Henry] You know how we talk about
the rivalry in the sprints
being the USA and Jamaica?
There's another nation
added to that party now. Saint Lucia.
[gunshot]
[commentator 3] She has got to get better
out of the blocks in the final
if Alfred is going to run the showdown
as well as she did there.
[Dennis] Testing that shit out.
[suspenseful music playing]
She had too much airtime on that start.
[Dennis] Sha'Carri didn't execute well.
- [Sha'Carri] Where we going?
- [man] I'm taking you this way.
[Dennis] Julien got a jump on her,
and she wasn't able to reel her in.
So my job with Sha'Carri is
to correct those things
before we get to the final.
[Dennis] What's up, baby?
Yeah, her transition was soft.
Now it's time to fight, man.
Time to fight.
We got it. We going to work.
We going to work, baby.
All right. Yo.
[thunder rumbles]
[thunder rumbles]
[Dennis] To be able to have
my three girls, you know,
all be in the finals at the Olympic Games
is a tremendous feat.
Time is now.
I'm looking forward to the battle.
[Dennis] God damn this rain.
[energetic music playing]
[commentator] An iconic moment of sport
is about to unfold in all its glory.
The rain coming down,
but it all adds to the occasion.
This is
the women's 100-meter Olympic final.
[Flo] I'm proud of you.
[Julien chuckles]
- [Flo] Just have fun. Have fun.
- [Julien] Okay.
Slow your heart rate down, okay?
Slow that heart rate down. Keep breathing.
- Keep breathing, okay?
- Yeah.
Don't let the moment get the best of you.
You were made for this.
- Okay.
- Come on, baby.
Come on, ladies. Everything you got, man.
Everything you got. All right?
You guys have worked hard for this.
You've got all the tools
you need to get this job done today.
Okay? All I'm asking for you to do
is put them tools out there
and let them go to work for you.
You see what I'm saying?
Trust what we know. Trust us.
- You got me?
- Yes, sir.
Let's do this thing tonight, ladies.
Let's go.
Boom.
Let's go, baby. Come on.
Come on, now. Let's go to work.
Let's go to work.
Let's go.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Julien] I do want
a gold medal at the Olympics.
I am up against Sha'Carri.
As much as, like, I think of her highly,
I have to also think of myself highly
and think of, like, this is competition.
It's really who wants it more.
I know what I'm here for.
I know what I can do.
I feel like this is my chance.
[Allyson] I think Julien's semifinal
gave her confidence,
because she controlled the race.
And I think any time
you can control a race
and there's, you know, big names in there,
it feels good to go
into the final having that confidence.
After kind of a rocky semifinal,
I'm sure that Sha'Carri
will experience disappointment.
I think that will be the fuel now.
And so, we all wanna see this race.
[announcer] Welcome
to the women's 100-meters final!
[boom]
[commentator] These incredible women
[announcer] 4x1 gold medalist
Twanisha "TeeTee" Terry!
[commentator] were just eight
little girls daring to dream
[announcer] Melissa Jefferson!
[commentator] that a night like this
might one day belong to them.
[announcer] Saint Lucia. Julien Alfred.
[commentator] And after a lifetime
of work and sacrifice,
at last it's their turn.
So here they stand in the pouring rain.
The best in their country.
The best on their continent.
Bidding to become the best in the world.
[Henry] Based on
everything else I've seen,
it's going to be very hard to beat her.
I believe she can win.
[cheering]
[commentator] And now
to the queen of sprinting.
The headline maker.
World champion.
Fastest woman in the world this year.
[crowd roars]
[commentator] Bidding to become the first
American female Olympic champion
over 100 meters
for almost three decades.
[Dennis] Sha'Carri
can get her start better.
If she does that, she will
be tough to beat anywhere on the earth.
Let's go, baby. This the one.
She has to deal with blocking out noise.
Gotta be able
to want to be the last one standing,
because that's what
being a champion is all about.
[commentator] This is
the women's 100-meter Olympic final.
[Melissa] If you don't believe
it's gonna happen, then it's not.
I have to fully believe in myself,
or else it's not gonna happen.
I'm not walking away empty-handed.
[Julien] You have to believe in yourself,
but you also know what's at stake.
I'm not only running for myself.
I'm running for these people
in my community.
I feel like
nobody can stop me now.
[energetic music playing]
[announcer] Set.
[gunshot]
[commentator] Alfred got
a brilliant start. She's away well again.
Richardson got left in the blocks!
Come on, baby.
[commentator 2] But look
at Sha'Carri Richardson closing in hard.
[commentator] It's a long time
since she's had to give chase!
[suspenseful music playing]
Let's go.
[yells]
[commentator] Julien Alfred,
the history maker! The gold medalist!
All the way! All the way! All the way!
Huh?!
[yells]
We are the fastest!
[cheering and laughing]
[commentator] Gold for Julien Alfred,
the Saint Lucian star!
They've never won a medal before,
and now they've taken
the best one of the lot!
[chanting] Juju! Juju! Juju! Juju! Juju!
[cheering]
[man] Saint Lucia!
The fastest in the world!
- [cheering]
- [chanting] Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!
[bell clanging loudly]
[commentator] Julien Alfred
has stunned Richardson, the favorite.
The world champion was left in her blocks.
Richardson, the silver.
Jefferson, the bronze.
[Melissa] To just be in that moment
and know, like,
"Wow."
"I really did that."
Even though it's a bronze medal,
it's special.
Yeah, we just didn't take care
of that first 30 like we supposed to, man.
That's the last thing I told her,
but we're good, man.
I'm proud of my girls.
[Dennis] Did this race devastate us?
No.
Was it disappointing?
Yes.
Was it motivating?
More than anything.
[cheering]
[Henry] Juju!
[horns blowing]
[Julien squeals]
[Henry] Juju, it's you!
I told you! I told you that, huh?
- Your dream!
- [Henry] Yes!
I told I dreamed she won it!
- You did!
- Good job.
Thank you!
- Oh my God!
- [woman] Saint Lucia is proud of you!
[fans cheer]
- Good job.
- I don't think it's sunk in yet.
- No, trust me. Tonight it will.
- [chuckles]
Yeah.
You gotta cool down. Put on your tennis.
Put on your tennis so you can jog.
Cool down. Let me call now.
- Put your shoes in the bag.
- [line ringing]
[Julien] Growing up, I think that
saying that I wanted to be
Saint Lucia's first Olympic medalist,
it sounded like it was just a dream.
[Flo] Congratulations, Juju.
Thank you so much.
[Flo] Man, you've made my day.
I knew it. I knew it.
- I knew it. I knew it.
- [chuckles]
[Henry] She gotta
Let her jog up and down here.
[Julien] All I'm thinking about right now
is just that I have finally made it.
All my hard work
and all my sacrifices paid off.
It's almost like a relief
just seeing how far I've come.
A little girl
from Saint Lucia is finally here.
[emotional music playing]
[crying]
[Julien] I am the Olympic champion.
[crying]
- I'll tell you right now. I was so happy.
- [Melissa] Mm-hmm.
But I was so sad at the same time
'cause we didn't get that gold.
[Melissa] Yeah.
It was, like, mixed emotions,
but then it was like, "Okay."
Once I didn't see my name
come first or second.
[Dennis] Hey, but we had three girls
in the finals and two of the three medals.
That's a hell of a fucking day.
- Hell of a day.
- [Dennis] Hell of a day.
- [Melissa] Nobody else here doing that.
- Nobody else out here doing it.
[Melissa] And you can't
take it away from us.
[Dennis chuckles]
[commentator] Noah Lyles looking
less than 100% in the semifinals.
Finishing second. Having to work for it.
[emotional music playing]
[pundit] Noah Lyles. Everyone's
been saying he won't get on the podium.
If he doesn't get on the podium,
it's it's gonna be World War III
in terms of people coming at Noah Lyles.
'Cause he talks the talk, right?
He's always out there saying that,
"Yo, I'm the best."
"I'm the fastest man in the world.
I'm gonna beat everybody."
It's going to definitely come back at him
if he doesn't get on the podium.
- [Noah] The lightning bolt.
- [woman] Okay.
- [Noah] Definitely gonna do that star.
- Okay.
[Noah] And then we'll do that a few times.
- [woman] This star?
- [Noah] Yeah, those.
I'm gonna put your wrist on here.
Is that comfortable?
[Noah] With having the title
of being at the top,
you know, one mistake
can seem like the end.
You know, life works in ups and downs,
and I'm no different.
I'm a human being. I have ups and downs.
People see you as a superhero,
and then when they realize
that that illusion is broken,
you know,
they somewhat wanna blame somebody.
And the quickest person to turn to is
the person who gave them that illusion.
All right.
- [Keisha] Hug your mama.
- You're welcome. See you later. Thank you.
See ya.
[Keisha] Bye!
[Noah] We got the thumbs-up approval.
[Junelle] A lightning bolt? Why?
That means speed?
That mean you're gonna run fast?
I think of it meaning speed.
That's what they called me
in Time magazine.
- [woman] Period.
- The Flash.
[Noah] I'm not worried about anybody.
I'm worried about myself, you know.
Getting myself in the right mindset
is my goal.
Every Olympic medal
is served on a Louis Vuitton tray.
- [woman] I want a Louis Vuitton tray.
- I want a Louis Vuitton tray too.
[mouthing]
[Michael] Whether he succeeds or fails,
he's already getting
the backlash and the vitriol
that people don't like him.
People don't like what he's saying.
I think, though,
Noah is the one person
who's figured out how to handle it,
but I also wonder if
Noah has figured out that he needs that
in order to be his best.
- [Lance] Yeah.
- Thank you.
All right. Next time you come back,
Olympic champ.
- Olympic champion.
- [Lance] You hear me?
- Let's get this shit.
- Get it done.
- Good luck. See you.
- [Noah] Thanks, Coach.
[indistinct chatter]
[Paul] Execute.
[Kishane] I feel hyped about it
but not nervous.
Knowing that I can trust what I'm doing
and just believing
and try to execute as best as possible.
[Oblique] Everyone's goal is
to go out there and win.
That's my goal as well.
I want to go out there and win.
100-meters final. This is the last call
from the call room, please.
[Marcell] Before me, nobody in Italy
arrive in an Olympic final.
This is my second one.
So I'm really happy for that, but I am
really ready for going to war again.
[commentator] Olympic 100-meter drama
like we have never seen it before.
[suspenseful music playing]
[man] Are you ready? Here we go.
[cheering and applause]
[commentator 2] Fred Kerley.
He ran a terrific semifinal.
And maybe there's more there from Fred.
[Fred] I'm definitely coming back around
and coming back for everything I lost.
And I'm becoming more dangerous now.
[commentator] Can Kishane Thompson
hold his nerves in check?
[yells]
[commentator] Well, he looks ready.
I been at the top ♪
I still go the force
To get there again ♪
The god don't stop ♪
Just give me the mission
And I'm going in ♪
[Noah] I want to be
the fastest man in the world.
That's what I want. I'm gonna push for it.
I'm gonna try harder.
I'm gonna have faith
that it's gonna happen.
[Kishane] I'm actually faster
than this guy.
Understand?
I want accolades.
[dramatic music playing]
I want faster times.
I want gold.
[commentator] The tension in the stadium
is incredible.
[dramatic music continues]
[music fades]
[commentator] The entire world
prepares to hold its breath.
[announcer] Set.
[gunshot]
[crowd cheering]
I'm on the brink ♪
Of tasting the sun ♪
Gone in a blink ♪
What's done is done ♪
Shoving cotton in my ears ♪
Wished the water wasn't clear ♪
I fear ♪
That the day you recognize ♪
The lies behind these smiles ♪
You'll feel ♪
[music fades]