Julien Alfred, St. Lucia’s first Olympic champion, recently reflected on her experience in the 200m final, where she finished second to American runner Gabby Thomas. Despite winning the silver medal with a time of 22.08 seconds, Alfred analyzed how she might have approached the race differently in order to secure victory. The 23-year-old athlete from Ciceron, Saint Lucia, participated in her first-ever Olympic Games this year in Paris and made a lasting impression on the track and field world by winning the 100m event, beating the favored Sha’Carri Richardson with a remarkable time of 10.72 seconds. This win marked St. Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medal and earned Alfred her gold.
However, in the 200m final, Alfred faced tough competition from Gabby Thomas, Brittany Brown, and Dina Asher-Smith. While she came close, Alfred ultimately placed second, running 22.08 seconds to Thomas’s 21.83 seconds. Reflecting on her performance in the 200m final, Alfred shared her thoughts during an interview with SportsMax TV on October 12. She noted that her mindset in the 200m race was different from her approach to the 100m event, which affected her performance. She admitted that she overthought the race, focusing too much on the technical aspects instead of running with the same aggressive energy that had helped her win the 100m.
Alfred explained, “I think my mentality going to the [200m] final wasn’t the same. So I’m really going to just try to change, and then I was just overthinking the final, like trying to think of each phase, and it was a lot happening. I should have just run it all out, and if Gabby catches me then so be.” Her reflection on the race suggests that she recognizes the importance of balancing mental preparation with instinctive racing, and she is determined to apply these lessons to future competitions.
Despite her success on the world stage, Alfred still feels that there is more she wants to achieve in her career. In reflecting on her journey so far, she expressed that while winning an Olympic gold medal, a World Indoor title, and a Diamond League final are significant accomplishments, she doesn’t feel as though she has “made it” yet. One of her key goals is to earn outdoor accolades in the World Championships, a title she has yet to secure.
Alfred’s Olympic triumph earned her a hero’s welcome when she returned to St. Lucia. In recognition of her historic achievement, the St. Lucian government has declared September 27 as ‘Julien Alfred Day,’ a national day of celebration honoring her contributions to the country’s sports legacy.
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