
Sunday brought jubilation to the Caribbean as St Lucian sprinter Julien Alfred and Dominican triple jumper Thea LaFond both secured their countries’ first-ever Olympic medals, achieving gold in their respective events.
Julien Alfred, initially a lesser-known competitor, showcased her incredible athleticism by winning the women’s 100-metre final on Saturday with a time of 10.72 seconds. The 23-year-old astonished both her rivals and the world, capturing the hearts of St Lucians with her victory over US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, who claimed silver.
“It feels amazing to be honest,” Alfred shared with reporters. “After waking up this morning, I wrote it down: Julien Alfred, Olympic champion. Believing in myself and trusting that I could do it really mattered. I’m still going through the motions; it hasn’t sunk in yet. I had to trust myself, my coach, and most importantly, God,” Alfred said, as reported by the Caribbean Media Corporation news agency.
St Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J Pierre, took to Facebook to celebrate the milestone: “Today is a great day for OECS [Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States] member states and the Caribbean! St Lucia and Dominica have made history by winning our first Olympic medals and bringing home gold.”

The excitement of Alfred’s win was further elevated by Dominican jumper Thea LaFond, who clinched gold on Saturday with a leap of 15.02 meters. “This is for you guys,” LaFond said from the Stade de France.
St Lucia, covering 238 square miles and home to approximately 180,000 residents, and Dominica, with its 290 square miles and population of 71,000, both made history with their Olympic achievements.
Kenson Casimir, St Lucia’s Minister of Youth Development and Sports, expressed his joy, noting, “Julien has worked tirelessly and deserves this medal. Her achievement, along with LaFond’s, highlights the talent pool in the OECS ready for scholarships and development.”
Casimir added, “Despite being small islands, we captured two gold medals in one night, plus a bronze in the decathlon by Grenada and gold for Dominica in the women’s triple jump. This puts a spotlight on the OECS and its talented athletes.”
He also congratulated Grenada’s Lindon Victor, who won bronze in the decathlon, marking the country’s second Olympic medal.
Jamaican athletes’ successes were also acknowledged, even as the withdrawal of celebrated sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from the women’s 100-metre semi-finals was a notable disappointment.