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• Julien Alfred reveals she almost withdrew from Olympics due to pressure

  Olympic champion Julien Alfred, who rose to global fame this summer by winning gold in the 100 metres at the Paris Olympic Games, has revealed in an interview with Sky Sports that she nearly withdrew from the Games due to the intense pressure she felt after a standout performance earlier in the year. The 23-year-old, who clocked an impressive 10.72 seconds to claim her title as the world's fastest woman, shared her journey through the mental and physical challenges she faced leading up to her historic win.

  Reflecting on her victory at the Stade de France, Alfred said, “I remember screaming so loud and bursting into tears just knowing all my hard work and sacrifice has paid off and knowing how hard it was to get to that point in my career. All I could do was just cry.”

  However, after winning gold in the 60m at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow earlier this year, Alfred admitted she felt overwhelming pressure to continue delivering exceptional performances. “I put so much pressure on myself after the World Indoors that I have to deliver every single time,” she said. “My coach took me off the track, took me out of competition so I can just focus on my mental health and my physical health as well.”

   The expectation to perform at her peak weighed heavily on Alfred, especially as she took on the role of a trailblazer for St. Lucia. “That was such a hard time for me where I felt like there’s no way I’m going to continue, there’s no way I feel like I have the mental capacity to go to the line again and to represent my country,” she admitted. “Suddenly I got more attention, especially after winning the World Indoors, that I was not used to. I'm just so used to doing well and going back to my shell where I just work on the little things and then go back on the line whenever I have to again.”

  Despite the struggle, Alfred overcame the pressure, becoming not only St. Lucia’s first Olympic gold medalist but also securing silver in the 200m three days later, marking her country’s first two Olympic medals. Known affectionately as “Ju Ju” back home, Alfred returned to the track determined to make her nation proud, sharing the podium with American stars Sha’carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson.

  During her time in the UK as St. Lucia's Tourism Ambassador, Alfred has embraced her role as a national icon. She represented her country at the World Tourism Market and visited schools to inspire young students, encouraging the next generation to pursue their dreams.

   

• Alfred says 100m semi-final performance gave her confidence to produce best in the final- “I knew I had it in the bag”

  At any major championship, a strong performance in the semi-finals usually makes an athlete’s confidence skyrocket heading into the round where the medals will be decided.

  According to reigning Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred, this was exactly the case for her in Paris in August.

  After getting through her heat comfortably in 10.95, Alfred, 23, was drawn in a brutal second semi-final that also included 2023 World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson and was supposed to have 10-time World and three-time Olympic Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

  Fraser-Pryce failed to turn up for the race meaning Alfred still had Richardson to contend with.

  “When I saw the line-up, I was like man, I have to run! I really have to run tomorrow. I kept thinking about how I’m going to execute,” she said on a recent episode of Out D' Blocks on the SportsMax TV YouTube Channel.

  “I had to psych myself up mentally,” she added.

  The execution couldn’t have gone more perfectly for the St. Lucian as she blasted out of the blocks, getting a big lead on Richardson before shutting down towards the line to win in 10.84.

  She then repeated in the final, speeding to a personal best and national record 10.72 to win her country’s first ever Olympic medal.

  Alfred says her semi-final performance gave her the confidence she needed to produce her best in the final.

  “After that semi-final, I gained so much confidence,” she said.

  Crossing that line and executing such a good race and even slowing down in the last five metres of the race, I knew I had it in the bag as long as I go out there and do it in the final,” Alfred added.

  The World Indoor 60m champion said the performance in the semi-final helped her to be calmer in the final.

  “I was as relaxed as possible. The way that semi-final turned out was the best thing that happened to me because I gained all the confidence,” she said.

  “Just going back to the warm-up area, my coach kept telling me we’re not done yet, we have one more round,” she added.

• “I don’t feel like I’ve made it yet”- Olympic champion Julien Alfred hungry for more success

  Julien Alfred’s 2024 season was one for the books and the St. Lucian superstar is eyeing even more success going forward.

  The 23-year-old began her first full season as a professional athlete with a six-race win streak in the indoor 60m, culminating with her first major global title at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland on March 2.

  The 2023 Bowerman Award winner then embarked on a spectacular outdoor season which saw her become her country’s first ever Olympic medallist by winning 100m gold in Paris in a national record 10.72 in August before closing out her season by winning the 100m title at the Diamond League final in Brussels in 10.88 in September.

  Alfred also won 200m silver at the Olympics in 22.08.

  As a result of her exploits on the track, Alfred has been subject of an appropriate week of celebration by her home country St. Lucia since her return on September 24.

  Alfred was greeted by a parade of fans upon her arrival to the island, September 27 was formally recognized by the St. Lucian Government as ‘Julien Alfred Day’ going forward, a mural celebrating her was painted at her alma mater Ciceron Primary School and she was named as a Tourism Ambassador for St. Lucia.

  With all that being said, Alfred still feels like there is more work to do to solidify her legacy in the sport.

  “I don’t feel like I’ve made it yet,” Alfred said on the latest episode of Out d Blocks on the SportsMax TV YouTube Channel.

  “That alone keeps me pushing and going for more,” she added.

  Most people with her accolades, even after just one year, would get comfortable and feel like they’ve already solidified themselves as a staple in their respective field but not Alfred.

  “There are accolades that I still want in my life and my career. Yes, I accomplished an Olympic gold, World Indoors, Diamond League final winner but I don’t have accolades in the World Championships outdoors yet,” Alfred said.

  “Even the 200m title at the Olympics. I feel like there’s still more I can chase and go after and just leave my legacy and pay tribute to all those who pour into me and give back to them in such a way,” she added.

  After a grueling NCAA season, Alfred competed at the World Championships in Budapest in 2023. She got to the final of the 100m, finishing fifth in 10.93 before narrowly missing out on a medal in the 200m final, running 22.05 for fourth.

  If her 2024 form is a precursor, Alfred could be in for a massive World Championships in Tokyo in 2025.