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Pressure from own fans was instrumental for Julien Alfred's Olympic glory. The burden of the country weighed heavily on her shoulders but she lived up to the billing.
Paris Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred upset a quality field in the French capital to win one of the most memorable titles ever seen by St.Lucians.
While she delivered a fatal blow to favorite Sha'Carri Richardson at the Stade de France, part of her inspiration came from the demanding St. Lucians who felt that their star athlete must deliver every time she appeared at a global championship.
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21:34 - 25.12.2024
'I bawled my eyes out' - Sha'Carri Richardson's rival Julien Alfred reveals simmering emotions after life-long career achievement
Julien Alfred upset a quality field in the 100m Olympic finals but her glory was even sweeter after flowing down favorite Sha'Carri Richardson in Paris.
Alfred carried the hope of the Caribbean nation single handedly in Paris but she delivered when it mattered most according to the 23-year-old.
"I wasn't motivated like before. It felt so much pressure whenever I got a chance to race, because now I thought that St Lucians was expecting so much from me. I felt like I had to win every single time. I felt like I couldn't do it," she told the BBC.
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10:56 - 26.12.2024
'Still clocked in' - Sha'Carri Richardson and Christian Coleman gear up with intense gym sessions ahead of the 2025 season
World champion Sha'Carri Richardson is hard at work as she seeks redemption after losing to Julien Alfred. The Saint Lucian beat favorite Richardson to win the 100m title in Paris Olympics.
Racing in the pouring rain, Alfred stormed to the 100m title to create history for Saint Lucia at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Alfred won her nation’s first ever senior global medal in athletics when she gained world indoor 60m gold in Glasgow in March but became her nation's first Olympic medalist in any sport.
She made sure that maiden medal was a gold one, clinching a clear victory in a national record of 10.72 to beat world champion Sha’Carri Richardson and her US compatriot and training partner Melissa Jefferson.
Alfred – lined up in lane six, with Richardson to her right and Jefferson to her left – got off to a great start. Although Richardson powered through in trademark style, 23-year-old Alfred couldn’t be caught and Richardson settled for silver in 10.87, as Jefferson got bronze in 10.92.
The Olympic 200m silver medalist finished fourth over 200m and fifth over 100m at the 2023 World Championships.
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