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St Lucia’s Julien Alfred started the year as just an ordinary athlete but she ends her season as one of the biggest stars who can now not escape the scrutiny and weight of expectations.
Julien Alfred was not even in the conversation when the year 2024 started but as it ends, she is among the most talked bout.
The St Lucian was not considered a threat in an Olympics year with world champion Sha’Carri Richardson, defending champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shericka Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce among those tipped to triumph.
However, a combination of unavoidable circumstances and poor form from the big hitters opened up an opportunity for Alfred and she grabbed it with both hands.
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16:37 - 14.09.2024
Why Dina Asher-Smith is looking forward to Letsile Tebogo-like reception Julien Alfred will receive in St Lucia
Asher-Smith missed out on the Diamond League title in the 100 meters narrowly to Julien Alfred, but has waxed lyrical about the reigning Olympic champion
Alfred started with victory at the World Indoor Championships when she claimed gold in the 60m dash to set the tone for the rest of the season.
As the season wore on, Thomson-Herah would suffer an injury that ruled her out of the Olympics trials before Jackson pulled up coincidentally while competing against Alfred in Hungary in early July.
It turned out to be the final straw as the injury kept her out of the Olympics and Fraser-Pryce would fail to turn up for her semi-final race at the Paris Games for reasons still not known even if there was speculation that she could have suffered an injury.
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17:04 - 14.09.2024
Sha’Carri Richardson makes shocking decision at Brussels Diamond League after 100m flop
World 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson will not be the star attraction in the 200m at the Diamond League Final in Brussels after pulling out of the race, a day after her 100m flop.
By this time, Alfred had competed against Richardson, the American flooring her at Prefontaine Classic, where she finished second, but she served her revenge in the best way possible.
At the Paris Olympics, Alfred floored Richardson in emphatic style, the American not getting even close, as she won in 10.72 seconds, with the world champion clocking 10.87 for a silver medal.
Richardson, however, replied by claiming victory at the Zurich Diamond League early this month and it is a win that woke up the beat in Alfred.
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19:12 - 14.09.2024
‘I deserve respect’ – Africa’s fastest woman slams Netflix for excluding her from SPRINT documentary
The veteran sprinter has slammed producers of the Netflix documentary SPRINT for not showing her respect after she was excluded from the final edit despite being filmed all year round.
“After the loss in Zurich, I was a bit hard on myself and mad at myself so it kind of woke me up a little bit not to be relaxed especially when there is a trophy on the line so I came prepared for that mentally,” Alfred told The Inside Lane on Friday.
That was after she floored her rivals to win her first Diamond League title in Brussels in a race where Richardson recorded a shock eighth place.
It has not been an impressive season by Richardson’s very high standards, as she also failed to qualify for the Olympics in 200m, and Alfred took advantage to steal the spotlight.
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21:59 - 14.09.2024
Indomitable Faith Kipyegon ends Diamond League season on a high with blistering 1500m run to take home record fifth title
Kipyegon ends season on a high by setting another record in Brussels to take home the 1500m Diamond League title yet again.
Heading to 2025, the St Lucian will not escape the scrutiny and spotlight as she will be the woman to beat, with the veterans now looking to reclaim their crowns, which will be a major test for the 23-year-old.
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