Olympic 100m gold medallist Julien Alfred stepped outside her usual sprinting range on Friday, delivering a national indoor record in the 400m at the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, South Carolina.

Alfred, primarily a 100m specialist, clocked 52.97 seconds to win Heat 4 of the event, setting a St. Lucian indoor record in the process. The time placed her 20th overall among a deep field of collegiate and professional athletes, but the performance stands out considering her focus on shorter sprints and limited experience in the quarter-mile.

Alfred, who won silver in the 200m at the Paris 2024 Olympics, is not known for racing the 400m, making her performance even more impressive. She split 25.01 seconds at the halfway mark before closing in 27.97 seconds, showing solid endurance despite not specializing in the event.

Interestingly, her time was matched by Michelle Smith of the US Virgin Islands, a freshman at the University of Georgia and a 400m hurdler/800m runner. Smith, who won Heat 10, edged Alfred in the final standings by thousandths of a second (52.961 to 52.970), emphasizing just how competitive the event was.

The fastest time of the meet was posted by Georgia’s Aaliyah Butler, who stormed to victory in 50.85 seconds, a personal best. The top three overall finishers all broke 52 seconds, with Bailey Lear of the United States (51.81) and Jermaisha Arnold of Texas A&M (51.86) rounding out the podium.

Alfred’s performance, though outside her usual range, is a strong indicator of her fitness and strength heading into the outdoor season. Having already established herself as one of the world’s top sprinters, her ability to handle the demands of the 400m suggests she could bring even more endurance to her 100m and 200m races this year.

While she may not be switching to the quarter-mile anytime soon, this national record performance underscores Alfred’s versatility and world-class ability as she continues to dominate Caribbean sprinting.