Julien Alfred knew the 100m final in Paris was hers to lose. When the starting gun went off, few considered Alfred a top contender, as the focus was on the expected showdown between Sha’Carri Richardson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. However, when Fraser-Pryce did not compete, fans were almost certain Richardson would take the gold. But Alfred had other plans. She stormed the track, clocking a stunning 10.72 seconds to claim the gold, becoming the first athlete from St. Lucia to achieve such a feat.
Beating the likes of Richardson and Melissa Jefferson, Alfred immediately became a phenom. Not only did she win the 100m gold, but also won a silver in the women’s 200m category. Following her incredible achievement, Julien Alfred has been busy attending various events and interviews. Likewise, the Olympic champion recently appeared on SportsMax TV. Discussing her Paris success, Alfred doubled down on how she felt going into the race. Surprisingly, Alfred already knew that she would win.
Alfred mentioned that she gained a lot of confidence after the semifinal performance. Running a blitzkrieg of 10.84s, Alfred set the fastest time in Paris, beating Richardson’s timing of 10.89s. Having a measure of Richardson made her feel confident that she could well beat the World Champion. Reminiscing the moment, a beaming Julien Alfred stated, “I knew I had it in the bag as long as I just go out there execute and do what my coaching I have been working on for such a long time and do the same thing like in the final I knew I had it in the bag.” Alfred always had the dream of becoming the next Usain Bolt. Thus, when she continued to have good runs building up to the final, Alfred knew she just had to focus.
The Olympic gold medalist, Julien Alfred, revealed that she was momentarily confused after noticing Fraser-Pryce’s absence. Despite her strong performance in the semifinals, her coach reminded her to stay focused for the final challenge. Alfred didn’t relax, ultimately breaking her semifinal time and claiming all the glory as the world stood up to applaud her achievement. Upon returning home after her Paris triumph, she received a hero’s welcome. Interestingly, the women’s 100m champion had nearly quit track and field at the age of 12.
The post Having Dethroned Sha’Carri Richardson, Julien Alfred Recalls Confidence Before Becoming the World’s Fastest Woman: ‘Had It in the Bag’ appeared first on EssentiallySports.
