London, who is from Vieux-Fort in St Lucia, ran 11.72 to win the silver in the 100m at the 2023 Carifta Games in the Bahamas in April to become her country’s first ever sprint medalist at the Caribbean junior showcase.
She then followed up by running 23.72 in the 200m for her second silver medal of the games.
At Texas, London, who turned 16 in March, will be hoping to emulate the successes achieved by Alfred, who Coach Eldrick Floreal characterized as “the greatest sprinter in NCAA history” after she won the 100m and 200m and leading the Longhorns to an impressive victory in the 4x100m relay to lead Texas to the 2023 NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships title for the first time in 18 years.
The 16-year-old St. Lucian sprinter has enjoyed an excellent season, so far, with her best results coming at the 50th Carifta Games held from April 7-9 at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, The Bahamas.
The Vieux-Fort native first ran 11.72 to claim silver in the 100m, her country’s first ever sprint medal at the Caribbean junior showcase.
The Vieux-Fort Comprehensive Secondary School attendee then produced 23.72 for silver in the 200.
“I went out there to get the gold but God gave me the silver so my Carifta season went pretty well. I executed my race as planned and I got on the podium,” London said on the latest edition of In Case You Missed It hosted by Mariah Ramharack on SportsMax.TV
“It felt great that I had some competition in the race. I was competing with some of the best and I pulled through to get on that podium so, right now, I feel great about myself,” she added.
After her Carifta exploits, London said she returned home to a celebration.
“Oh my gosh! A lot of celebration happened. When I got home, everybody was around and just cheering ‘Naomi London! Naomi London!’ It was so much support. I love the fact that my community supports me no matter what I do,” she said.
Although happy with her silver medals, London expressed her desire to one day upgrade to gold.
“It would be a life-changer for me and for my country,” she said. “Gold is many, many more than silver.”
London also does well in the classroom and credits good time-management skills and sacrifice for that.
“I prioritize my work and I do have good time-management skills. After I come home from training, I will sacrifice the time to go study or do an assignment,” she said.
Her next quest on the track will be at the Commonwealth Youth Games set for August 4-11 in Trinidad & Tobago.
“One of my goals is to medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games and my second goal is to run a personal best at any meet that I attend,” London said.
To date, St. Lucia’s greatest export on the track is current University of Texas star and Commonwealth Games 100m silver medallist Julien Alfred, someone London says she looks up to.
“Julien Alfred is one of my inspirations from young. Me and her grew up in the same field in track and field. She used to run in the higher division and I used to always look out for her and we used to talk about all the races. I’m very proud of her achievements,” she said.
“I would say the success of the St Lucian athletes is making the young athletes want to do more and want to go out there to represent their country. I think track is a great sport and St Lucia has a lot of talent. We can go out there, do our best and put our country on the map,” London added.
Nabbie, who emerged victorious in a keen 100m battle with St Lucia’s Naomi London on Saturday, found herself in another stern test against London in the 200m. The two were even going into the final 50m of the race before Nabbie dug deep to find that little bit more to win in 23.67, while holding off London (23.72) who won her second silver medal of the games.
Jamaica’s Natrece East ran a brave race to claim the bronze in 23.85.
Nabbie’s compatriot Cayden Smith ran 21.70 to win the U17 Boys 200m ahead of Grenada, who clocked 21.96 for the silver medal. Andrew Brown won Bahamas’ second medal in the race, taking bronze in 22.02.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Sanaa Frederick stormed to victory in the U20 Girls 200m clocking 23.60. Kenyatta Grate of the British Virgin Islands won the silver in 24.11 while finishing just ahead of Amari Pratt of the Bahamas (24.17).
The U20 Boys 200m saw a Jamaican 1-2 as Malique Smith-Band benefitted from his 400m strength to surge past the field and win in 20.67. Javourne Dunkley took the silver in 20.88 with Adam Musgrove of the Bahamas taking bronze in 20.96.
London, who clinched silver in both the 100m and 200m at the 2023 Carifta Games in the Bahamas, expresses her eagerness to follow in the footsteps of NCAA triple gold medalist Julien Alfred, drawing inspiration from the Commonwealth Games silver medalist and World Championships finalists’ success.
"The main reason why I was committed to Texas was because of the environment and Julien. I was inspired to, and I think that I'll be very comfortable and safe up there. The environment was just what I need," London shared in an exclusive interview with Sportsmax.TV.
Amidst other offers, Texas stood out as the ideal fit for the talented sprinter. "I did get other offers, but I declined them. So I was just mainly focused on Texas. The athletes are very fun to be around. It makes me want to push more because they're very supportive, and I came from a club that always wants to see you grow up. So having a mimic of that in Texas makes me feel at home, and the coach as well, in that he only wants the best for you."
Expressing her desire for a challenging yet supportive environment, London emphasizes the importance of pushing herself to the limits. "I want somebody to push me to my limits, and I think that's the best and right option that I should go for right now."
When questioned about her academic aspirations, London mentions she's still exploring options. "I have not decided what I'm going to study, but I'm working on ideas into what course I want to take."
London's commitment to Texas, however, extends beyond education, as she is driven by the ambition to become an Olympian and a World Champion. "I'm actually looking forward to being an Olympian and a World Champion as well. It's not only about the education. I mean, it is about the education, but there's a balance."
In her final season as a Longhorn, Alfred had one of the best NCAA Division 1 championships ever. She won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay which prompted her coach Eldrick Floreal to characterize her as the greatest sprinter in NCAA history.
Alfred's success at Texas has left an indelible mark on young St. Lucian sprinters, including London, and played a significant part in the teen’s decision to become a Longhorn. "It has influenced us a lot, especially me very much because Julien is a hard-looking individual that I really admire, which makes me want to push,” London said.
“She is the kindest person you could ever meet. I swear she's the kindest person you could ever meet if you actually meet her. She is dedicated. She is down to her work. She goes and gets what she wants."
With her own history in tow having been the first St Lucian to win a sprint medal at the Carifta Games, and inspired by her rising star compatriot in Alfred, London looks set to create her own legacy at the University of Texas and beyond.
“Having that and having seen that (Alfred’s success), just makes you want to look at, you know, do I actually want to do I really want to go through what she's gone through? Everybody has a different path.
“So it's not like I'm going to go through the same thing as her, but I know that there's something different out there for me. She has influenced me very much and I really appreciate that. I mean, I love Julian. We all do. She's been remarkable and watching her success over the years has inspired a lot of people.”
