Julien Alfred Dismisses Competition with Sha’Carri Richardson, Reflecting on Career Milestone: “I Had It in the Bag

Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia achieved an undeniable triumph with her gold medal victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Prior to the 100m sprint, Julien encountered tough competition from two remarkable athletes: Sha’Carri Richardson, who held the world-leading time in 2024, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica—known as “Mommy Rocket”—an eight-time Olympic medalist and three-time Olympic Champion.

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With those two favorites in the spotlight, many expected one of them to claim the gold. However, despite all the anticipation surrounding their potential victories, there was a moment in Paris when Julien confidently dismissed Sha’Carri Richardson’s challenge, sensing that she could seize the 100-meter title for herself.

The instant Julien Alfred realized she would defeat Sha’Carri Richardson at the Paris Olympics

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Moments before the semi-final, chaos erupted when both Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sha’Carri Richardson arrived late to their warm-up sessions. Instead of using the athletes’ shuttle, they chose private vehicles and consequently were locked out of the warm-up track. Fraser-Pryce had to withdraw from the semi-finals due to an injury, while Richardson was forced to compete without warming up, impacting her performance adversely.

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Was Julien Alfred’s triumph at the Paris Olympics due more to her skill or to the errors made by her competitors?

Her exceptional talent

Mistakes made by competitors

A combination of the two

Simply a fortunate day.

Should the International Olympic Committee be held responsible for the low quality of the medals?

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In the semi-finals, Fraser-Pryce did not appear at the start line due to an undisclosed injury. Julien Alfred posted the fastest qualifying time with 10.84 seconds, while Richardson and Clayton both recorded times of 10.89 seconds each. Now months later on Out D Blocks, Julien Alfred was interviewed about her mindset going into the final race: “Did you feel that it was your race to lose rather than focusing on defeating the world champion?” Reflecting back, Alfred said, “Yes, after that semifinal I gained a lot of confidence by finishing strong and executing such a well-run race.”

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Does Julien Alfred’s victory mark the beginning of a new era in sprinting, outshining competitors like Richardson and Fraser-Pryce?

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Discussion

Alfred’s confidence skyrocketed following that performance. “Even when I eased up in the last five meters of the race, I knew victory was mine as long as I went out there and executed what my coach and I’ve been practicing for so long,” she remarked. For Alfred, success required not only physical prowess but also mental readiness to manage pressure effectively.

Having secured her semi-final victory, Alfred felt calm and confident about the final. “As long as I perform like I did in the semifinals,” she said, “I know I’ve got it covered and I’m totally relaxed.” In the finals, Alfred exploded off the blocks with a swift start; her rapid acceleration put her well ahead within just 10 meters. Meanwhile, Sha’Carri Richardson encountered a slight delay in reaction time and quickly fell behind—it was evident that something wasn’t right for her.

Despite her usual strength, Richardson completed the race in 10.87 seconds, while Alfred finished in 10.72 seconds, earning Saint Lucia its first Olympic gold medal ever. As Alfred celebrated her victory, her coach Edrick Floreal reminded her to stay focused by saying, “It’s not done yet; we have one more round.” Alfred’s triumph was not just a personal achievement but also a historic win for her country. Reflecting on this momentous occasion she said “I think how everything unfolded ended up being the best thing that happened to me,” So what’s next for the new gold medalist?

Following an impressive victory, what lies ahead for Alfred?

In the same interview, Julien Alfred reminisced about her outstanding achievements, stating, “I have won an Olympic gold medal and triumphed at both the World Indoors and Diamond League final.” Despite these accolades, she remains determined to continue striving for more. Her focus now is on claiming the World Title from Sha’Carri Richardson since a World Championship title has eluded her so far. She expressed it as: “I still lack accolades in the World Championships.”

…you know, I’ve never secured the 100 or 200-meter titles outdoors, nor have I claimed the Olympic title in the 200 meters.