Olympic champion Julien Alfred revealed having lesser races and working with her college coach on the integral things were part of the winning formular to her 2024 season exploits and famous victory over Sha’Carri Richardson in Olympic final.
The spotlight has been on Saint Lucia’s golden girl Julien Alfred since her iconic feat of defeating American star Sha’Carri Richardson in the Olympic 100m final in Paris.
Alfred blazed to the 100m gold medal in Paris in a blistering time of 10.72s to become Saint Lucia’s first Olympic champion in Paris. Not resting on her oars, she sped to the silver medal in the 200m final to end her Olympic debut on an iconic note.
Aside from this, the 24-year-old became the World Indoor 60m champion earlier in the year and capped off her monumental season with the Diamond League 100m title in Brussels to end the year as the undisputed sprint queen, having won all major championship titles available.
Following her exceptional season, Alfred received several honours in her home country and globally with the latest recognition being named the Best Female Athlete of Paris 2024 Olympics at the ANOC Awards.
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The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) Awards was organised to celebrate the outstanding achievements of NOCs, athletes, and distinguished members of the Olympic Family.
From recognizing exceptional performances to enjoying an evening of entertainment, the Saint Lucian speed queen was one of the winners on the night in recognition of her historic outing in Paris.
In her acceptance speech, Alfred detailed the cutting edge responsible for her 2024 success, with major reference to her victory over Richardson in the Olympic final.
“The previous year after a long collegiate season placing fourth and fifth in the final (reference to 2023 World Championships in Budapest), coming to this year I knew I had the ability with lesser races in my legs.
“Also, sticking with my collegiate coach Edrick Floreal and you know working towards a specific goal which was the 100m, but most importantly just coming out here and making the sacrifices to get a medal for my country, myself, and my team,” she said.
Alfred also acknowledged the home support as a huge motivating factor.
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“Most definitely. A celebration I was not expecting but I received a lot of love and support from my country Saint Lucia and I’m truly grateful to be able to represent Saint Lucia on the global stage,” she said in response to the homecoming reception received back home after her 2024 season exploits.
The speedster’s latest honour comes after winning big at the inaugural CANOC Sports Awards, celebrating Caribbean’s finest athletes, teams, and sports leaders. She was named the Caribbean Female Sports Personality of the Year and shared the Breakthrough Award with triple jumper Thea LaFond (Commonwealth of Dominica).
Alfred continues to be an inspiration for her nation, celebrating her every moment and wins as she continues to be a model for Saint Lucia’s present generation and those unborn.
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