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Meeting speed legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and going to school in a 'sprint-crazy' Jamaica, were pivotal in Julien Alfred's path to Paris 2024 Olympic and track success.
Following her historic feat at Paris 2024 Games, Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred has credited some key paths in her success that include meeting legendary sprinter Shell-Ann Fraser-Pryce and having a strong Jamaican foundation.
The St. Lucian speed queen's iconic thrill of winning the 100m final against Sha'Carri Richardson was one of the highlight moments at the Games - a remarkable achievement given that Saint Lucia had never had anyone on an Olympic podium before Paris.
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Not resting on her oars, Alfred added a silver medal in the 200m event behind Gabby Thomas, thus leaving the Games with two medals in her maiden Olympics.
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14:25 - 20.08.2024
An unfair advantage: Julien Alfred reveals how defeat to Gabby Thomas was dependent on hectic sprint scheduling differences
Julien Alfred believed the scheduling differences between the men and women's sprint events was vital in her loss to Gabby Thomas in the Olympic 200m final.
Her success in Paris was one of the most resounding feats in Olympic history, one which may not have happened if her mum hadn't made the hard decision of sending her to Jamaica at age 14 after her dad's death.
“He always believed in me and wanted me to be an Olympian, so whenever I achieve something it’s always emotional," said Alfred of her late dad, Julian, who died in 2013.
"He would be proud of me because he was quite boastful and always said, ‘My daughter is the fastest.’ Every time I have a big accomplishment I think about him, just the thought that he is not there to see me do the things he always said I would. It hurts me not seeing him around,” she added in an exclusive interview with www.thetimes.com.
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Her dad's death was the beginning of her rocky path to Olympic success, which she considered quitting the sport.
“I didn’t want to run anymore. The last time I had seen him was when he took me to practice where we trained on grass. I had no motivation.
“My dad wasn’t there and I just wanted to be with my family. Then my first childhood coach came to find me. He said he would do all he could to help. And he helped me get past my grief — no, not past — but he helped me get back on my feet and fight the pain of Dad being gone.”
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23:04 - 03.08.2024
Paris 2024: St. Lucia goes wild in celebrations for Julien Alfred's stunning Olympic 100m gold medal
Julien Alfred unarguably cemented her name as the best female sprinter this season following her stunning Paris 2024 Olympic title over Sha'Carri Richardson in the 100m final, which has her country in wild celebrations.
Two years after her dad's sudden demise, aged only 14, Alfred received a scholarship to St Catherine High School in Jamaica. As the home of her hero, Usain Bolt, as well as two of the fastest women in the world, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Fraser-Pryce, she knew it made sense, but that did not make it any easier.
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“On the day my mum left me I cried so much. I was without my family and friends and was thinking I should go back. I stayed with a family but it was hard to adapt to a new culture. I didn’t understand the lingo and I couldn’t go home for Christmas because we had December camps. I wanted to give up, but kept pushing because I knew something good would come out of it,” Alfred recalled.
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11:43 - 17.08.2024
Julien Alfred: How Sha'Carri Richardson's defeat made St. Lucia second on online searches and a tourist destination
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.
It eventually did when she had the privilege of meeting Fraser-Pryce handing out the prizes in one of her track meets and being surrounded by sprint-crazy people in Jamaica with better avenues of having track training and facilities.
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“Growing up I trained on grass because the track was in the south of the island and the only chance we got to use it was at major competitions,” Alfred says of the contrast.
“Every country has its own challenges. But Saint Lucia is a country full of life, very beautiful and rich in its own ways. I really hope I have put it on the map.”
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