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SAINT-DENIS, France — Sharon Firisua of the Solomon Islands resembled and acted like a sprinter setting up her starting blocks. But when the gun went off, she was a marathoner trying to sprint. The distance runner who was given her country's lone spot in the women's 100 meters at the Olympics finished last in the field. Her time of 14.31 seconds, though, was a personal best. Firisua proved quick afterward, weaving her way through the media mixed zone without talking to reporters. This was her third trip to the Olympics — and first as a sprinter. She ran the 5,000 meters during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and the marathon at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
