The Olympic 100m champion and 200m silver medalist on why the celebrations in St Lucia are so important to her
Julien Alfred is back in action in St Lucia where tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets to celebrate his achievements this season.
The 23-year-old won Saint Lucia’s first ever Olympic medals in Paris and the country has now declared a national holiday to commemorate her 100m gold and 200m silver on September 27.
As soon as Alfred landed on the tarmac at Hewanorra International Airport, he was greeted by Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, other members of the government and the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee.
The Olympic 100m champion was then whisked off in a motorcade, and in the evening tens of thousands of people across St Lucia saw Alfred wave to the crowd with the national flag draped around him.
A mural of St Lucian outside his primary school is also now planned, and the national holiday is called Julien Alfred Day.
That’s quite an admission for an athlete who just had an incredible season.
The world’s fastest woman and Olympic champion is home
Welcome back to Saint Lucia, Julien Alfred.
Official homecoming festivities begin now. pic.twitter.com/OfDJehflWa
— OPMSaintLucia
In addition to his success at the Paris Olympics, Alfred became the 60m indoor world champion. won the Diamond League 100m crown trophy and finished the season with the second-fastest time of the year (10.72).
After the Diamond League final in Brussels. AW: I met Alfred during the last season.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” he told AW. “Now I have a chance to go back home and think about what Saint Lucia has done for me in my life. It’s really amazing that they do.
“I think the emotions of the Olympic Games surged. When I crossed the line, I knew I had actually won. When I took off my spikes and went to get my bag, I was as heavy as an Olympic champion. There were peaks and planks.’
Just before the Van Damme Memorial, Alfred told of his move from Saint Lucia to Jamaica at the age of 14stating that “I left behind my mother and siblings. My father died when I was 12 years old,” and “my mother put a note in my suitcase that said, ‘Follow your dream.’
Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred on winning the Diamond League title in Brussels.
“I’m overwhelmed,” the St. Lucia sprinter says of the success she’s enjoyed this summer.
@TimAdams76 pic.twitter.com/jhnZHleSkl
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) September 13, 2024
In response to a question about that AW: In Brussels, Alfred reflected on his journey in the sport and was grateful to those who had supported him along the way.
“At the time (when I moved from St. Lucia to Jamaica), I wondered if I had made the wrong choice,” Alfred said. “I left my family and made a lot of sacrifices to get to this point. Now I have developed as an athlete, a person and an individual.
“It’s been a long journey and I’ve had a lot of lessons to learn. Whenever I struggled, my coach always told me to use it as motivation. I didn’t come this far for nothing and everyone is there for a reason. It’s about taking it step by step.
“I don’t know how I’m going to process it all. Considering all that I’ve accomplished, especially for someone who’s been through so much in her life, you think, “Do I even belong here?” when good happens I just need some time to process the good that is happening in my life right now.”
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