Julien Alfred Breaks Silence on Gabby Thomas Defeat as Track and Field Star Reveals Future Plans for USA Rival

Julien Alfred’s impressive rise in the track and field world has been nothing short of inspiring. The St. Lucian sprinter won gold in the 100m at the Paris Olympics, but she had to settle for second place behind Gabrielle Thomas in the 200m finals. For many, such defeat would spell doom, but for Alfred, it is just another step in the process of achieving her goals.

In a recent interview, Alfred admitted her defeat in the 200m finals and thus, the grit to return stronger. Her declaration, “Nobody’s perfect,” is her inner voice of self-improvement, which will be her driving force through the World Championships. Although she once considered stepping back from the 200m race—a consequence of her health conditions. Alfred is now eagerly focusing on perfecting her plan to make the race her own in the imminent future.

Julien Alfred eyeing 200 m gold

The 2024 Paris Olympics turned out to be a great success story for Julien Alfred. Alfred shrugs off legends like Sha’Carri Richardson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce as she defeats them and wins gold in the 100m sprint. Now, with that win, Alfred is eyeing a gold in the 200m—she was left behind Thomas in the Paris Olympics in the 200m.

In an interview with Athletics Weekly, Alfred opens up about her preparations regarding her next step. She said, “I don’t think there’s anything in particular that I would change [about the Olympic final].” Alfred further talked about the Paris Olympics, “I mean, it happened how it was supposed to, and I can’t change that now, but I think, going to the world championships next year, there are quite a few things that I have to work on with my coach. There’s always something to work on. Nobody’s perfect.” Alfred bagged a silver in the 200 m with 22.08 seconds and stayed behind Gabby Thomas with 21.83 seconds.

Earlier in an interview, Alfred showed her desire to win accolades in the World Championships; she stated, “I don’t have accolades in the World Championships yet; you know, outdoors, I don’t have the 100 or 200 m title or even the 200-meter title at the Olympics.” The preparation has already begun with “Coach Flo” for the 2025 World Championships, and last year in Budapest, Alfred finished fifth and fourth in the 100m and 200m, respectively. With that being said, a few days back, 23-year-old had a different take on her future plans.

Earlier Alfred wanted to step back from the 200m race.

However, Julien Alfred is all geared up for the upcoming World Championship; a few months back, she revealed her decision to step back. Why, you may ask?? Saint Lucian Pride wanted to focus on her health and well-being. 2024 was packed with impressive stuff, but sometimes it gets overwhelming when you have to juggle many events. She said in an interview, “I’ve been focusing on a ton of races, and honestly, it’s getting a bit overwhelming.”

She admitted, highlighting the toll that high-performance athletics can take on an athlete, and they also need a break to gather themselves and come back stronger. She also revealed the fact that she was not much prepared for the 200m, and that’s why she couldn’t give her 100%. “Growing up, I wasn’t great at the 200, and I think that stayed with me,” Alfred said.

With the title of being the first-ever to win Olympic gold for Saint Lucia, the country announced September 27 as “Julien Alfred Day.” Now, Julien Alfred is on her new journey to set records. It is yet to be seen what the future holds for her.