"The female Usain Bolt" - 100m Olympic champion Julien Alfred on 'cringe' response she gave to high school question

By Riddhi Acharya

Modified Nov 22, 2024 02:17 GMT

Julien Alfred made history at the Paris Olympics when she was crowned the 100-meter champion. Not only did she become Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist, but she also became the country's first Olympic medalist. Recently, the sprinter opened up about finding inspiration in Usain Bolt and wanting to replicate his achievements.

Going into the Games, Alfred was a strong contender for the podium finish, especially in the absence of Jamaicans Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraiser Pryce. However, reigning World Champion Sha'Carri Richardson was still a favorite for gold. Come a rainy race day, the Saint Lucian surpassed all expectations when she crossed the finish line first, outdoing Richardson by a fair margin.

Recently, in an interview with the Telegraph UK, Julien Alfred opened up about finding inspiration in the world's fastest man, and revealed that she used to want to be ‘the female Usain Bolt’.

"In grade six, we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up and I said 'the female Usain Bolt. It's very cringe saying it now, but I wanted to be just like him. I grew up watching him, watching all his races. We didn't have any St Lucians in the race, so I was always wanting him to win, I wanted Usain Bolt to win, he was my idol. I looked up to him,” she said.

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Julien Alfred sets her sights on the 2025 season

Allianz Memorial Van Damme 2024 - Diamond League Final 2024 - Source: Getty

After her spectacular run in the 100m, Julien Alfred went on to add some more hardware to her collection at the Paris Olympics, when she won a silver in the 200m, finishing behind USA’s Gabby Thomas. The sprinter had an incredible 2024 outside of her Olympic exploits, winning the World Indoor Championships in March, and the Diamond League Final in September.

Now, with the end of the year in sight, Alfred has already moved her focus to the upcoming season. Speaking of reliving her Olympic glory, the Saint Lucian told the Telegraph UK that she's moved on from her victory, saying,

"Unless someone mentions it to me or it's spoken about, I don't really think about it. I think now I have almost moved on from it because I'm preparing for another season and there are World Championships coming up, so I've prepared myself not to get too comfortable now that I've won Olympic gold, but still realizing how great I did in Paris.”

The 2025 World Athletics Championships are scheduled to take place in Tokyo, Japan between September 13 and 21. While Julien Alfred will be a strong contender for the gold, she will be challenged by the likes of Sha'Carri Richardson, Melissa Jefferson, and Shelly-Ann Fraiser Pryce.