St. Lucian sprint star Julien Alfred, slated to contest the women’s 100m on July 5, used her time at the pre-meet press conference to reflect on a venue that has played a pivotal role in her career.
“I won my first NCAA title here,” Alfred shared with a smile.
“But then, later on, a few months after that, my first World Championship, I false-started here as well. So I mean, it’s a love-hate relationship with Hayward Field.”
A Journey Forged in Adversity
Julien Alfred’s path to becoming one of the fastest women on the planet didn’t start with lightning-fast finishes or global titles. It began with homesickness, exhaustion, and the grueling demands of the American collegiate system.
Leaving behind her native Saint Lucia, Alfred moved to the U.S. to train with the Texas Longhorns under the renowned Edrick Floreal. It was a dream opportunity, but one that came with steep challenges.
“I remember my first workout when we did 6 x 200m,” Alfred recalled In a recent chat with Athletics Weekly.
“For the first two, I was flying, and then, the last four, I could barely make it to the line. That’s just how hard it was.”
Adjusting to new training regimes, weightlifting sessions she had never done before, and a culture far removed from the Caribbean, Alfred faced moments of doubt.
“I would sometimes just cry. I wanted to go home because it was just so hard.”
The NCAA circuit toughened her, physically and mentally, preparing her for battles far beyond college championships. It was in those demanding years that Julien Alfred built the grit that would fuel her global glory.
From NCAA Titles to Olympic Gold
Julien Alfred captured back-to-back NCAA 100m titles in 2022 and 2023, proving she was ready for the professional ranks. In March 2024, she claimed her first global title, winning the 60m crown at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
Her defining moment came later that year, a stunning Olympic gold medal in the 100m final, where she clocked a blistering 10.72, a new personal best and a national record for Saint Lucia. That victory cemented her status as one of sprinting’s elite.
Yet even after reaching those heights, Alfred continued to sharpen her edge. In April 2025, she scorched the track in Gainesville with a remarkable 21.88 in the 200m, narrowly missing her personal best.
She followed it up with a commanding 100m season opener, clocking 10.89 in Oslo and a sensational 10.75 in Stockholm just days later, the second-fastest time of her career.
Still Climbing
Arriving at the 50th Prefontaine Classic as the favorite in the 100m, all eyes were on Julien Alfred. And while she narrowly missed out on victory, finishing second in 10.77 seconds against a stiff -1.5 m/s headwind, the performance reinforced her status as a top-tier sprinter. In a stacked field, her grit once again shone through.
For Alfred, each race isn’t just a contest against her rivals, but a continuation of the journey she started years ago. And though her story is already one of triumph, it’s clear she’s only just getting started.
