Paris Olympics 2024: Julien Alfred of St. Lucia won the 100m Olympic gold medal on Saturday, the Caribbean island's first ever. The 23-year-old Saint Lucian sprinter, made history by winning the gold medal in the women's 100 meters and setting a new national record of 10.72 seconds. Saint Lucia has won its first Olympic medal since 1996.

Who is Julien Alfred?

Born on June 10, 2001 in Ciceron, Julien Alfred endured enormous challenges throughout her early life, particularly when she lost her father at the age of 12. This experience had a major impact on her childhood and encouraged her to achieve in athletics.

Alfred started her education at Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School in Saint Lucia, where she studied from 2013 to 2015. She then went to Jamaica, where she attended St. Catherine High School from 2015 to 2018. During her time in Jamaica, she honed her sprinting skills by competing against boys at her primary school, which helped her acquire resilience and confidence in her athletic ability.

In 2018, she moved to the United States to study at the University of Texas, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Youth and Community Studies. At Texas, she was a standout athlete, breaking records and winning multiple collegiate track and field accolades.

Julien Alfred's career includes a number of notable accomplishments and milestones that demonstrate her talent and resilience as a sprinter. 

Julien Alfred's career highlights:

Alfred earned a silver medal in the 100 meters in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

At the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, she won the gold medal in the 60 meters.

Alfred earned the gold medal in the 100 meters at the 2024 Summer Olympics, setting a new national record of 10.72 seconds and earning Saint Lucia's first Olympic medal.

Alfred tied for the joint North American indoor record in the 60-meter race at the NCAA Indoor Championships, clocking 6.94 seconds.

100 metres: Her run of 10.81 seconds at the 2022 Big 12 Conference Championships, combined with her Olympic record of 10.72 seconds, placed her as one of the world's fastest women.