“A lot goes into running 10.72, and the body goes to a place it has never been before,” lamented Julien Alfred, her voice tinged with frustration and exhaustion after the Paris Olympics. The St. Lucian sprint sensation had been on a relentless quest for gold in the 200m event, locking horns with American sprinter Gabby Thomas in a showdown that promised fireworks. Alfred had already turned heads by blazing past Sha’Carri Richardson in the 100m, clocking a jaw-dropping 10.72 seconds and leaving Richardson trailing at 10.82 seconds.

But despite her electrifying performances and leading most of her races, the 23-year-old’s dream of Olympic gold in the 200m was shattered, not by her competitors, but by the grueling demands placed on her by poor scheduling and management. Alfred was pushed to the brink, forced to compete in six races over five days, with a mere two hours of sleep to sustain her. The toll it took on her body was immense, and the exhaustion was evident as she crossed the finish line, not as a victor, but as a warrior drained of every ounce of energy.

The sports community has been quick to rally behind Alfred, condemning the mismanagement that marred her Olympic campaign. What should have been her crowning moment was instead a story of what could have been, had she been given the chance to compete at her best. Alfred’s disappointment is palpable, and the backlash against those responsible for her grueling schedule only adds to the chorus of voices demanding better treatment for athletes of her caliber.

The hectic schedule difference and poor Olympic condition shattered Julien Alfred’s gold dream

Recently, on X, Track Spice became vocal about how, following the historic Paris Olympics feat, Julien Alfred’s dream of getting gold remains unfulfilled. The caption starts with, “Imagine pushing your body to its absolute limit, then having to do it all over again just a few hours later. This is the reality Julien Alfred faced at the Paris Olympics on August 6, 2024.” indicating the controversy at the Paris Olympics. After mentioning the 200m last performance between Gabby Thomas and Julien Alfred, the blogger wrote, “But behind the scenes, there was a different story unfolding—one of frustration and fatigue that few knew about.”

As Julien had to participate in the back-to-back races, her mental and physical health took a toll. It played a significant role in her unexpected loss to Gabby. In an interview with the Times, she expressed her frustration: “Not many people spoke about it, but the men got a rest day, and the women didn’t. Six races in five days take it out of you.” It highlights the authority’s disparity in the event schedule. So, she raised a question on the management as to why women did not get enough time to rest when men did. 

She added, “I lay in bed going back over what I had done. Yes it is physical, but it is emotional and mental too. I don’t wish to speak of this as an excuse, but I wish I had more rest for the 200m.” Because of this chaotic organization, she clocked in at 22.41s, but she could hold back her energy till the end. So, when the final race began, Julien almost lost most of her energy there and felt excessively tired. While the male counterparts got the day off before the semi-finals, women had their 200m heats and 100m final close together. In this controversy, the former American sprinter Justin Gatlin, also airs his frustration and supports Alfred.

On a YouTube podcast, he said, ‘Ready Set Go’, “Why did the women get less time to prepare from the 100m to the 200m when the men had a day off to rest their bodies and run a little fresher than the women did? I feel like that was an unfair advantage in a lot of ways.”  Being an experienced one in this, he even expressed his concern, saying that it is impossible to do the doubling like this. However, besides him, fans have also reacted to this controversy. 

Fans reacted strongly to Julien Alfred’s revelation of the Paris Olympics controversy

Following this open revelation by world-class track-and-field athlete Julien Alfred sparked a wave of reactions from fans. The incident cast a shadow over Alfred’s accomplishments and opened up an even more comprehensive discussion about issues in sports. As details began to emerge fan reaction demonstrated the increasing heat of the controversy. One fan wrote, supporting Gabby, “She wasn’t beating Gabby. Gabby has ran faster in life and in this year. She was fortunate she caught Sha’Carri slipping but Miss Thomas was not to be denied.” The speaker believes that Thomas’s past performances and excellent speed are uncatchable, pointing out that Alfred only makes an excuse. It was Gabby who, with hard work, earned her place at the top.

Another fan showed much concern, “Gabby was winning that 200 either way imo but the scheduling clearly favored the men. Why did they get a whole day plus to rest between R1 and SF while the women didn’t”. The fans showed frustration over the men’s and women’s schedules, believing it unfairly advantaged their male counterparts. The statement indicates that the fans are also against this disparity. Next admirer highlighted Gabby Thomas’s strategic focus on the strongest event, commenting, “This is why #GabbyThomas focused on the 200 meters exclusively, her specialty, by foregoing the 100 meters. Settling for Silver is an interesting choice of words: I am sure she earned it.” The fan is showing nuanced appreciation of Alfred’s achievements. This admirer indicates that while Julien may not get the gold, her silver winning was significant and hard-earned.

With an angry undertone, one fan remarked, “This crucial point could have been brought up without making it as if Julien is upset over Gabby’s win, perpetuating the stereo type that women don’t celebrate one another. Please do best.” This fan is not ready to take Julien Alfred’s comments since this fan thinks that she is just making a fuss out of it. The admirer even points out that Alfred’s jealousy towards Gabby indicates negative stereotypes about women in sports.

A fan took Alfred’s loss as a pattern and commented, “What Gabby did to Julien is what Julien did to Sha’Carri. And then Sha’Carri still managed to get a gold. This same thing happened with Noah and y’all mocked him for it as if he didn’t already win gold. It’s hard doing doubles. You just have to appreciate your hard work.” This admirer emphasizes the fact that it happens to everyone. So, it is better for Alfred to be happy with whatever she achieves.