Julien Alfred delivered two electrifying performances in Florida, announcing her dominance in the early stages of the outdoor track season.

At the Miramar Invitational in Broward County, the Olympic 100m champion took on Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson in a highly anticipated 300m clash. The showdown lived up to expectations, with Alfred holding off a furious late surge from Jackson to clinch the win in 36.05 seconds—breaking her own Saint Lucian national record and moving up to 28th on the all-time list.

Jackson, the reigning world 200m champion returning from injury, closed the gap down the final stretch but finished just behind in 36.13 seconds. Jessika Gbai of the Ivory Coast secured third with 36.24, while Barbados’ Sada Williams followed with 36.49.

“I’m just going to keep working hard and trust myself,” Alfred said after the race, reflecting on her razor-thin margin of victory over one of the sport’s top names.

Alfred’s momentum didn’t stop there. Just days later, at the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, she stormed to a world-leading 21.88 seconds in the 200m Olympic Development race. Her blistering run came in the first heat, and no other athlete across all five heats came close to the 22-second barrier.

Facing a deep field featuring Jamaica’s Niesha Burgher, Great Britain’s Daryll Neita, and Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke, Alfred separated herself early. She exploded off the curve and powered through the straight, crossing the line well ahead of the pack.

Nigeria’s Favour Ofili and American Tamari Davis placed second and third overall with 22.34 and 22.37 seconds, respectively. Adeleke clocked 22.57 for fifth overall, while Neita and Burgher followed with 22.89 and 23.09.

With two commanding victories over world-class competition, Julien Alfred is proving to be a formidable force in the sprint world this season—and all eyes will be on her as the road to Paris 2024 heats up.

#JulienAlfred #SaintLucia #TrackAndField #Athletics #SprintSeason #MiramarInvitational #TomJonesMemorial #Paris2024 #SprintQueen #BreakingRecords