Reigning Olympic 100m champion has been awarded the prestigious Best Female Athlete of the Paris 2024 Olympics by the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).
Julien Alfred was on fire at the , winning the gold in the women’s 100m and proceeded to claim silver medal in the women’s 200m. She expressed gratitude for such a recognition, noting that it’s a dream come true.
The St Lucien athlete pointed out that growing up, she always looked up to legendary athletes including, and countrymate Levern Spencer, and wanted to inspire the young generation just like they did inspire her.
Julien Alfred’s coach, Edrick Floreal, has revealed the secret recipe he formulated to help her master the 100m, which enabled her to claim the Olympic title over favourite Sha'Carri Richardson.
revealed that being a source of inspiration for the young athletes is something she always dreamt of and her hard work and sacrifice have earned her a special place in her nation.
“It’s truly an amazing feeling, getting all the love and support. I was not expecting so many presents tonight but it’s amazing to know that my sacrifice and hard work are being celebrated and I’m truly grateful for it,” she said.
“It’s truly inspiring because growing up, I looked up to Usain Bolt, Lerven Spencer, one of my countrymen and standing here and inspiring the youth is something I always dreamt of and to just see myself doing that now is inspiring and makes me feel like all my hard work is paying off but now it’s time to continue inspiring the nation, the youth that no matter where you’re from, you can always work towards your dream…with sacrifice and hard work, anything can be achieved.”
The St Lucia Olympic Committee (SLOC) was in awe of win, lauding her for the continued inspiration around the world of athletics and impacting the lives of youngsters positively.
“We extend heartfelt congratulations to Ms Julien Alfred on being awarded this remarkable accolade. We hope her continued successes inspire present and future athletes,” the SLOC stated.
The award places among the greats who have been celebrated following their Olympic achievements and it comes as a source of motivation as she looks to continue making waves.