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Julien Alfred's eventual 100-meter Olympic success journey began when her primary school librarian recommended her to her first ever coach.
Julien Alfred’s triumph at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she captured gold in the women’s 100-meter dash, is a story of perseverance, talent, and transformative moments
The Saint Lucian sprinter not only made history for her nation but also ended Jamaica's dominance in the event, defeating reigning world champion Sha’Carri Richardson to claim her place atop the global sprinting hierarchy.
Alfred’s remarkable journey almost didn’t happen. Her talent was first recognized in primary school, where she routinely outpaced both boys and girls on the track. However, it was her school librarian who played a pivotal role in shaping her destiny.
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18:20 - 31.12.2024
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“My school librarian spoke to my childhood coach to allow me to join a club,” Alfred shared with FloTrack. “That coach realized my talent, even when I stopped, and came back to look for me. That’s when I realized I had potential to do something good.”
After training under local coach Cuthbert Modeste, Alfred’s promising career faced a major setback when she lost her father in 2013. Grieving, she stepped away from track and field, but a supportive community convinced her to return.
At age 14, Alfred made a life-changing move to Jamaica, where she attended St. Catherine High School from 2015 to 2018. Competing in the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, affectionately known as “Champs,” she gained invaluable experience in front of boisterous crowds.
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11:38 - 30.12.2024
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“Jamaica taught me how to compete in front of a large crowd,” Alfred said on a separate interview with SportsMax TV. “Nothing could have prepared me more than Boys and Girls Champs. Maybe if I did not get that experience in Jamaica, I would have been so frightened competing in front of such a loud crowd at the Olympics.”
The exposure and mental toughness she developed paid off when Alfred earned Saint Lucia’s first-ever medal at the Youth Olympic Games in 2018, securing silver in the 100m.
“I think that was the beginning of something great,” Alfred told Olympics.com. “It influenced my choices in going to college, so I think it was a really good experience for me.”
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17:15 - 31.12.2024
'They don't care about intimidation' - Justin Gatlin on how modern sprinters like Noah Lyles & Co differ from his generation
Justin Gatlin has explained how modern sprinters like Noah Lyles are differen from 'intimidating' sprinters of his generation, such as Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell.
Alfred’s crowning achievement came in Paris, where she blazed through the finish line to win Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic gold medal. Her historic victory not only etched her name in the record books but also amplified the pride of a small Caribbean nation on the global stage.
Reflecting on her success, Alfred shared her advice to her younger self:
“To my younger self, I would just say to never give up because it is going to get hard,” she said. “There will be times where you feel like throwing in the towel, especially when you don’t know what life will throw at you. There are sacrifices you are going to have to make along the way.”
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