Julien Alfred: How Sha'Carri Richardson's defeat made St. Lucia second on online searches and a tourist destination

Julien Alfred and Sha'Carri Richardson

Julien Alfred: How Sha'Carri Richardson's defeat made St. Lucia second on online searches and a tourist destination

Funmilayo Fameso 11:43 - 17.08.2024

St. Lucia is now second on online searches and a tourist destination, all thanks to Julien Alfred's Paris 2024 Olympics 100m victory against Sha'Carri Richardson.

At the the Paris 2024 Games women's 100m final with the limelight on world champion Sha'Carri Richardson to record another amazing victory, the world was stunned when a very much unknown Julien Alfred stormed to St. Lucia's first Olympic gold medal in history.

Alfred first gave a glimpse of what to expect when she edged the American track star in the semifinals. However, track enthusiasts didn't read much meaning to it considering the unfortunate circumstance Richardson faced a few hours before, which could have affected her proper warm-up and rituals before the race.

Julien Alfred's reaction after winning the Olympic 100m gold medal | IMAGO

With all eyes on Richardson as the world's fastest woman this year, Alfred had other ideas as she blazed to her country's first Olympic gold in a new lifetime best of 10.72s, with the US speedster settling for the silver medal ahead of her country mate Melissa Jefferson for bronze.

Julien Alfred (M) with Saint Lucia's flag after winning the Olympic 100 metre final.

As Alfred's name was making headlines globally, the next question accompanying it was “Where is Saint Lucia?” - after the 23-year-old comfortably bagged the 100m Gold Medal at the Paris Olympics.

Now, millions worldwide have come to know the name, Saint Lucia, thanks to Alfred and, of course, online search engines like Google.

Since August 3, 2024, Saint Lucia has become second only to the United States regarding online searches. Also, Alfred’s Instagram followers have skyrocketed to more than 150,000 followers and counting, as she continues to trend quite high on Google searches.

Consequently, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) is stepping up plans to align the track star with the brand Saint Lucia strategically.

According to the SLTA website, the site has seen an increase in hits since the Paris Olympics. It now boldly proclaims, “Congratulations to the fastest woman in the world, Olympic Champion Julien Alfred. SLTA Celebrates Julien Alfred and her 2024 Gold & Silver Olympic Wins. Visitors are invited to Explore Saint Lucia Like an Olympian.”

Visitors have been invited to explore some of the formal facilities where Alfred has trod, such as the Soufriere mini-stadium with a view of the pitons. They are also lured to some of the athlete’s natural treks, such as the beaches, rain forests, and soothing mud baths at Sulphur Springs, among others.

Julien Alfred defeated Sha’Carri Richardson to win 100m gold || Imago

Noteworthy is that Alfred added the Olympic silver medal in the 200m final, finishing behind USA's Gabby Thomas.

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