Julien Alfred secured a remarkable victory in the women’s 60 meters final on Saturday, March 2nd, with a world-leading time of 6.98 seconds, earning St. Lucia its inaugural medal at a World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. Racing in lane four, the 22-year-old Alfred held off Poland’s Ewa Swoboda in a tense finish, making a powerful surge in the last 20 meters.
Swoboda crossed the line in seven seconds flat, while Italian Zaynab Dosso claimed the bronze with a time of 7.05. Despite a prolonged delay in announcing the results, Alfred couldn’t contain her emotions when declared the winner, bursting into tears.

Reflecting on her historic achievement, Alfred expressed, “It feels good. I don’t know how they’re behaving right now [in St. Lucia], but I’m sure they’re happy. [It’s] their first medal, and I’ve been dreaming of it for such a long time, to come out here and give my country their first-ever medal. And I just feel so happy, so overwhelmed, and ecstatic right now.”
Alfred had showcased her prowess in the semi-finals with a swift 7.03 seconds, winning the third heat. Responding to Swoboda’s world-leading performance in the opening semi-final, Alfred demonstrated her class as the reigning NCAA indoor 60m and 200m champion and the reigning NCAA outdoor champion over 100m and 200m.

In the final, Alfred initially trailed Swoboda and Dosso but found her stride around the halfway mark, surging through the final meters to seize victory. Reflecting on her race strategy, Alfred explained, “[I wanted] to just get out [of the blocks]. I know my top end speed was there, but my start wasn’t the best. So, my main focus was to just hang on and continue to push to the line.”
Despite Alfred’s triumph, disappointment loomed for other Caribbean sprinters, including Jamaicans Brianna Williams and Shashalee Forbes, Barbadian Tristan Evelyn, and Bahamian Anthonique Strachan, who all fell short in the semi-finals.
The next day, in a sensational display of athleticism, Thea LaFond, a 29-year-old Dominican, etched her name in history by clinching gold in the women’s triple jump.
LaFond, known for her impressive performances, stunned both her rivals and herself by unleashing a groundbreaking world-leading jump of 15.01m. This remarkable achievement not only secured her the gold but also marked her as the first woman from the Caribbean to reach such a distance indoors and the first from Dominica to claim a global gold medal.
Her historic feat unfolded during her second attempt in Glasgow, leaving the audience and competitors in awe. Overwhelmed with emotion, LaFond stared at the mark in disbelief before tears of joy flowed as she celebrated with her husband and coach, Aaron Gadson.
With the gold medal all but guaranteed, LaFond opted to pass on her remaining jumps, witnessing a tense moment when Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez soared to a distance of 14.90m, securing the silver medal. However, a foul on Hernandez’s final attempt ensured LaFond’s triumphant escape as the newly crowned global champion.
Spain’s Ana Peleteiro-Compaore’ claimed the bronze medal with her commendable effort of 14.75m.