Saint Lucia’s double world finalist Julien Alfred got her season off to a strong start by running 22.28 to win the 200m at the Dr. Martin Luther King Collegiate Invitational in Albuquerque on Saturday (20).

The 22-year-old, who sits second on the world short track all-time list with the 22.01 she ran to win last year’s NCAA title, held off her training partner Rhasidat Adeleke who clocked 22.49. That was a second Irish record of the day for Adeleke, who had earlier improved her own 60m mark to 7.15 when winning the invitational race. She now sits second on the season top list behind Aleia Hobbs with 7.11.

Alfred, who is also the second-fastest woman of all-time over 60m, will race that shorter sprint at the Millrose Games – a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting – in New York, where her competition will include Britain’s 2019 world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith.

Asher-Smith was also in action in Albuquerque on Saturday and she won the 300m in a national best of 36.77.