Saint Lucian sprint sensation Julien Alfred announced her arrival in the 2024 outdoor season with a blistering performance at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, on Friday. The reigning NCAA champion blazed to a world-leading 21.88 seconds in her first 200m race of the year.
Julien Alfred, who has been in scintillating form this season, lined up in Heat One against a stacked field that included Jamaica’s Niesha Burgher, Great Britain’s Daryll Neita, and Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke. Her 21.88 not only secured the heat win but also stood as the fastest time across all five sections of the event.
Adeleke, the Irish record holder, finished fourth in the heat (22.57) and fifth overall, while British sprinter Neita clocked 22.89 for sixth place. Burgher, meanwhile, struggled to match the pace, finishing 10th overall in 23.09.
Alfred’s time was the only sub-22-second performance of the day, further cementing her status as one of the world’s premier sprinters. Nigeria’s Favour Ofili (22.34) and American Tamari Davis (22.37) rounded out the top three, both competing in the same heat as Alfred.
The race also featured several Jamaican contenders, including Nickisha Pryce (23.10, 11th overall), Stacey-Ann Williams (23.31, 14th overall), and rising star Alana Reid (23.33, 15th overall). Leah Anderson, fresh off a strong 600m victory, finished fourth in her heat with 23.49.
This performance follows Alfred’s statement-making 300m win over Olympic medalist Shericka Jackson earlier this month at the Miramar Invitational, where she clocked 35.68.
With the Paris Olympics just months away, Alfred’s world-leading 200m debut positions her as a serious medal contender. If she maintains this trajectory, she could challenge the likes of Jackson, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Gabby Thomas for global supremacy in the event.