Alfred, who has a personal best of 6.94s, was always expected to continue her rich vein of form with a podium finish, but her gold medal prospects improved even more when her main rival Aleia Hobbs of the United States pulled out of the final with an injury.
Still, the 22-year-old Alfred showed her class, as she burst through the middle of Poland’s Ewa Swoboda (7.00s) and Italy’s Zaynab Dosso (7.05s), to finish tops.
"It feels good, I don't know how they are behaving right now, but I am sure they are happy. I have been working hard for such a long time to come out here and give my country their first ever gold medal and I am so happy, overwhelmed and ecstatic right now," Alfred said shortly after the race.
St Lucia’s Minister of Sport Kenson Casimir congratulated Alfred on the feat which has given the Eastern Caribbean Island much to celebrate.
“St Lucia's first ever global medallist in any sporting event and I think what makes it even more special is the fact that it is a gold medal at the World Indoor Championships. Of course, we are so proud, our entire nation is so proud. Of course, when you've won a medal, they say St Lucia wins it, so I can see every single individual really, really enjoying what we just witnessed today,” Casimir told SportsMax.TV.
“Of course, I want to say congratulations to her family, Julian is somebody from humble, humble, humble beginnings from Castries, St Lucia, and she's doing so well, and we just look forward to even bigger and better things later on this year at the Olympic Games,” he added.
On that note, Casimir declared his government’s intentions to continue throwing the necessary support behind Alfred as she continues to progress in her budding career.
“We certainly believe that there's more to come from Julien. She is young. She has worked really hard her entire life from coming from the Leon Hess comprehensive secondary school and going over to high school in Jamaica and then later on to Texas.
“She has really worked extremely hard and so as a government, we continue to put our resources behind her as she has transitioned so effectively into being a professional. And of course, with Coach Flo behind her from the University of Texas, we only expect bigger and better things from Julien Alfred,” he shared.
Earlier, Jamaica’s Rusheen McDonald clocked a new personal best 45.65s for bronze in the men’s 400m.
McDonald produced his usual late burst to secure his first ever indoor medal, and in the process became the first ever global male 400m medallist for coach Stephen Francis.
The event was won by Belgium’s Alexander Doom in a new national record 45.25s, ahead of World and Olympic 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm, who clocked a season’s best 45.34s.
McDonald's bronze is Jamaica's third at the Championships, as Ackeem Blake and Carey McLeod, also won bronze in the men's 60m and long jump respectively.
Kambudji’s time was the fastest time run in 23 years since Katerina Thanou ran a similar time in March 1999. Prior to Friday’s final, Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast was the fastest indoors with her time of 6.97 she ran in March 2018. The time also ties Jamaica's Merlene Ottey as the fourth-fastest all-time and bumped Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson Herah's shared time of 6.98 to ninth-best.
In what was a thrilling race to conclude the opening day of competition, the USA’s Mikiah Brisco claimed the silver medal in a lifetime best of 6.99 while her compatriot Mary-Beth Sant Price got third with 7.04.
Mere thousandths of a second separated the next four places as the gold-medal favourite, Ewa Swoboda of Poland, was fourth while Briana Williams and Shericka Jackson ran identical personal best times for fifth and sixth, respectively.
Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago was seventh in a season-best 7.11 while Brazil's Vitoria Rosa ran 7.21 for eighth.
The duo has been booked to face off in the 100m, an event that the Jamaican has so far shown strong form in this season. Fraser-Pryce has clocked the fastest time in the world so far this season, courtesy of a 10.67 clocking in Nairobi in May, which was equalled, in France, in June.
Swoboda, for her part, improved her personal best to 11.05 in Paris last month.
"I feel proud to have my name mentioned alongside Shelly-Ann's. She is an icon," Swoboda said.
"Each athlete dreams of achieving at least half of what Fraser-Pryce has and to stay at the top for this long,” she added.
"I hope it will be the best women's 100m race ever to take place on Polish soil. On 6 August I would like to finish as close to the legend as possible."
The two could, however, could also meet at the Oregon World Championships later this month, where Fraser-Pryce will be looking to defend her world title.
The 29-year-old Jamaican, who opened her season with a 19.12m throw in Iowa City last week Friday, took the lead in the fourth round with a throw of 18.77m. However, that lead was short-lived as reigning World Indoor Champion Auriol Dongmo of Portugal produced a 18.90 to take the lead.
Canada’s Sarah Mitton then put 18.88m to relegate Dodd to third, a position she was unable to improve upon on her final two throws with marks of 18.67m and 18.37m.
Asher-Smith, meanwhile, won her 60m heat in a new personal best of 7.07s improving on her previous best of 7.08 set seven years ago. She would go even faster in the final clocking 7.04 to establish a new meet record, British record and lifetime best.
Poland’s Ewa Swoboda took the runner-up spot in a season best 7.09 while World Indoor Champion Mujinga Kambundji ran 7.11 for third place.
The 5-time Olympic gold medallist ran 7.04 to finish second behind world leader Swoboda who ran 7.03 for victory.
The 24-year-old Polish sprinter now has the three fastest 60m times in the world this year.
In other action, at the World Indoor Tour Gold event, Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas won the Women’s 60m hurdles in a season’s best 7.90 ahead of Finland’s Reetta Hurske with 7.96 and Hungary’s Luca Kozak with 7.97.
