Ahead of the Diamond League final in Brussels, the Olympic 100m champion revealed why she was inspired by the Jamaican superstar when she was growing up.
Julien Alfred has stated that he “always wanted to be Usain Bolt” and that “he was more than my idol”.
Ahead of the Diamond League final of the season in Brussels (September 13-14), the Olympic 100m champion spoke about the start of her athletics career and what it means to claim a gold medal in Paris.
Alfred won St Lucia’s first ever Olympic medals and the country has now declared a national holiday to celebrate his 100m gold and 200m silver on September 27.
The 23-year-old will return to St Lucia on September 24, and there are plans for both a motorcade and a mural of herself outside her primary school.
Before heading back home, Alfred wraps up his season over 100m at the Van Damme Memorial and took time to reflect on the season and his achievements.
“When I was 14, I moved from St. Lucia to Jamaica,” he said. “I left my mom and my siblings. My father died when I was 12 years old. My mom put a note in my suitcase that said “follow your dream”.
Usain Bolt (Mark Shearman)
Inspired by the fastest man in history, Alfred added: “I’ve always wanted to be Usain Bolt, ever since I was little. He was more than my idol. It is incredible what he has achieved in his career. Unfortunately, I never met him. I also look up to Shelley-Anne Fraser-Pryce a lot.”
After growing up in Jamaica, Alfred moved to the US and took up Youth and Community Studies at the University of Texas.
Representing the Texas Longhorns, the St. Lucian became the first woman in NCAA history to break under seven seconds in the 60m. claimed NCAA 60m, 100m, 200m and 4x100m titles (60m/200m indoor and 100m/4x100m outdoor) and was named winner of the prestigious Bowerman Award for the 2022-23 season.
This set him up perfectly for a professional career, and at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, Alfred finished fifth and fourth in the 100m and 200m respectively.
Then, at this year’s World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, the St Lucian won a stunning gold for his country in the 60m.
Olympic Games Women’s 100m Final (River)
It was no surprise, then, that Alfred beat world champion Sha Kari Richardson in the 100 meters at the Olympics in a national record of 10.72.
Alfred’s win sparked wild celebrations in St. Lucia as the island celebrated its first ever Olympic medal.
In their first meeting since the Games, Richardson just pipped St Lucian in the Zurich Diamond League and the pair will meet once again in the Belgian capital.
READ MORE. Brussels Diamond League preview
“I don’t want to use the word revenge,” Alfred said. “I’m never racing against anyone, I’m doing it for myself and I just want to finish the season in style. For the same reason, I’m not focused on times either.”
Around 70,000 tickets have been sold so far for the Diamond League in Brussels, and UK viewers can also watch live on BBC Two and BBC Three live on both days from 19-21 BST respectively.
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