Julien Alfred triumphs in 200m season opener at Tom Jones Invitational, Kayinsola Ajayi takes men’s 100m
The Paris 2024 Olympic women’s 100m champion began her 200m season with a victory at the invitational in Gainesville, Florida
Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Olympic champion Julien Alfred began her 200m season in style with victory at the Tom Jones Invitational on Friday (18 April).
Saint Lucia’s maiden Olympic medallist stormed to the finish line in 21.88s in the women’s 200m final in Gainesville, Florida (USA). This was her first 200m race of the season, having claimed Olympic silver in the event at Paris 2024.
Alfred finished ahead of fellow Olympians Favour Ofili of Nigeria and USA’s Tamari Davis, who completed the podium in the six-strong final.
The Saint Lucian double Olympic medallist’s performance was just 0.02s off her national record, which was set in London in July 2024.
In the men’s 100m final on Saturday (19 April), Nigerian Olympian Kayinsola Ajayi ran a sub-10 second wind-assisted race to take the title. Ajayi came in at 9.96s ahead of USA duo Jelani Watkins and Mccallum T’mars.
Over in the women’s 100m final, it was a home triumph for Team USA thanks to Anavia Battle, the first woman to break the 11-second 100m barrier in 2025. She finished on top in 10.98s, pipping McKenzie Long and Maia McCoy by 0.04s.
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