When Julien Alfred sprinted to athletics gold in the women’s 100m at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on Saturday, 3 August, it was more than just a win — albeit a stunning upset victory — for a single athlete.
As the first Olympic medal winner ever from the tiny island nation of Saint Lucia, she hopes her win is the first of many, as does her Caribbean island nation.
“Growing up, I used to be on the field struggling, with no shoes, running barefoot, running in my school uniform, running all over the place,” the 23-year-old Alfred said in the afterglow of her shock upset over reigning world champion Sha’Carri Richardson of the USA, who had to settle for silver.
“We barely have the right facilities. The stadium is not fixed. I hope this gold medal will help Saint Lucia build a new stadium, to help the sport grow.”
Alfred suspected that her country was already celebrating.
