Reigning Olympic 100-meter champion Julien Alfred has credited her coach for playing an instrumental role in her meteoric rise to success in 2024.
Alfred made history by securing Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic gold medal, claiming victory in the women’s 100-meter final over favored sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson.
This stunning performance was followed by a silver medal in the 200 meters and a triumphant win in the Diamond League 100 meters final in Brussels just days later.
Julien Alfred had a stellar 2024 season dominating global track events and earning jaw-dropping figures.
However, Alfred’s path to glory hasn’t been without its challenges. Following a tough outing at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where she narrowly missed the podium, she regrouped and showed immense resilience in bouncing back.
Her journey from disappointment to Olympic gold in Paris highlights both her mental toughness and the crucial role of her coach in keeping her grounded.
Alfred has trained under Edrick Floreal at the University of Texas, where she has steadily developed into one of the world’s elite sprinters. Floreal has been with her since she bravely left her home country at just 14 years old, and Alfred credits him as the key figure behind her breakthrough.
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“I have to give thanks to my coach. I think he is my spine and my rock,” Alfred told before the Olympic Games, after winning the Monaco Diamond League event. “He has been with me through the highs and the lows. After Worlds last year, I cried on his shoulder so much and I just want to thank him for this, having my back throughout and the times where I felt like giving up on myself.»
Alfred’s Olympic journey represents the culmination of years of dedication, hard work, and unwavering belief in her abilities. Her 10.72-second performance in the 100-meter final not only secured her place in history but also marked the first time she has been recognized as the "fastest woman in the world." It is a title she holds with great pride, having overcome fierce competition and personal hurdles to achieve it.
“I really wanted it for myself and also so happy to have such an amazing group around me and most importantly, my coach is everything to me, and I would not be here without him,” she added.
Alfred’s rise to prominence began as a youth athlete when she won the women’s 100 meters at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games. A year later, she earned a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.
Her talent continued to blossom at the University of Texas, where she won two NCAA titles in the women’s 100 meters and one in the women’s 200 meters. By 2023, she had already earned a reputation as one of the top sprinters in the world, finishing fourth in the 200 meters and fifth in the 100 meters at the World Athletics Championships.
Despite the setbacks, Alfred never lost her drive to succeed, a mentality that has been carefully nurtured by her coach. Her Olympic victories are the latest milestone in what has already been a remarkable career, and at just 23 years old, she looks set for many more achievements in the years to come.