Julien Alfred was in no mood to have her chances defined for her after finishing second in Saturday’s 100 metre in Budapest, pushing back strongly at a journalist who suggested the Saint Lucian would have had a better chance of winning the 200m.
“If I put my mind to it I can do it.” Alfred responded following the women’s 100m final at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship. “I don’t want to put my mind to it. I can do it.”
The exchange came shortly after Alfred clocked an impressive 10.74 seconds to finish behind reigning world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who produced a world-leading 10.62.
American Sha’Carri Richardson finished third in 10.76. World Athletics described Alfred as “fast-finishing” as she chased Jefferson-Wooden to the line.
But it was Alfred’s post-race exchange with the journalist that attracted attention.
The journalist questioned her decision to compete in the 100m rather than the 200m, suggesting that her performances indicated she may have had a greater opportunity to secure victory over the longer sprint.
Alfred immediately rejected the premise.
“I think it’s very ignorant of you to say that, to be quite honest,” she responded.
The Olympic champion made it clear that the decision over which event she competes in rests with herself and the team responsible for guiding her career.
“Personally, I could choose whatever I wanted or whatever my coach or my team feels like I have to do,” Alfred said. “I went out there and did just that. I did the 100, and I’m off-season now, so I’m happy with my decision.”
Her response reflected the confidence of an athlete who remains one of the dominant figures in global women’s sprinting.
As of September 1, Jefferson-Wooden and Alfred were ranked first and second respectively in the World Athletics women’s 100m rankings, highlighting the quality of the field and the magnitude of Saturday’s clash.
The two have increasingly emerged as major rivals.
Jefferson-Wooden entered Budapest as the reigning world champion and had defeated Alfred at the Silesia Diamond League last month, running 10.78 to the Saint Lucian’s 10.83.
Days later in Zurich, Alfred responded emphatically, edging the American in a dramatic finish and setting a new Saint Lucian national record of 10.70 seconds.
Alfred, however, is no stranger to beating the American when the stakes are at their highest.
At the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, Alfred stormed to the 100m gold medal in 10.72 seconds, with Richardson second in 10.87 and Jefferson-Wooden taking bronze in 10.92. The victory delivered Saint Lucia its first Olympic medal and first Olympic title.
Saturday’s result again demonstrated the exceptionally fine margins separating the world’s leading female sprinters.
But Alfred’s message after the race was arguably as emphatic as anything she produced on the track.
The Saint Lucian made no attempt to disguise her disagreement with the suggestion that choosing the 100m had somehow represented a gamble because another event might have offered an easier route to victory.
