Words were not enough to describe the feelings of Julien Alfred after coasting 10.72 seconds to become the new Olympic women’s 100m champion before an astonishing 69,000 spectators at stade de France on Saturday, August 03, 2024.
Alfred, 23, wrote several history on the purple tracks on her way to glory:
She became the first ever athlete from the tiny Caribbean Island nation to win an Olympic medal, and gold for that matter.
Her winning time [10.72] is the new national record of Saint Lucia.
The 10.72 seconds she earned put her at the fourth-fastest ever at the Olympics and the eighth-fastest of all time in the history of the women’s 100m dash.
Juju, as she is affectionately called was delighted in her post race interview explaining what it means to become a national cult heroine:
“I’m going to start crying,” said the 23-year-old.
“I’ve been trying to stay strong as much as possible. It means a lot to me, my coach, my country, which I’m sure is celebrating now.
“You don’t ever see me celebrate like that ever. I’m just happy it happened in the biggest race of my career.
“I’m going to be honest. I watched Usain Bolt’s races this morning. I watched how he executed. I grew up watching him.”
Alfred reiterated her struggles to becoming an Olympic champion and how she wished her nation could use her glory to develop better facilities to help harness the talents of more athletes in future:
“Growing up, I used to be on the field struggling, with no shoes, running barefoot, running in my school uniform, running all over the place. We barely have the right facilities.
“The stadium is not fixed. I hope this gold medal will help St Lucia build a new stadium, to help the sport grow.”
Many may see the glory of Julien Alfred today, but her journey to glory hasn’t been a smoot one.
For instance, at the age of 12, her father Julian Hamilton died.
Five years later, just before she won Youth Olympic Games 100m silver in Buenos Aires in 2018, her aunt Karen Alfred, who had helped bring her up, passed away.
Alfred was so devastated by Julian’s death to the extent that she stepped away from athletics and two years
After two years, however, aged 14, she decided to go to school in Jamaica, the home of her sprint idol – Usain Bolt, leaving behind her family.
That decision, though difficult, became the turning point of Julien Alfred’s career.
By James K. Attaglo Wilson
