Double Olympic medalist Julien Alfred receives major honor after defeating Sha'Carri Richardson at the quadrennial Games in Paris

Julien Alfred had an incredible 2024 season and she is now being recognised for her fantastic performances on the track. The Saint Lucian was recently awarded the ‘Best Female Athlete of Paris 2024’ at the ANOC awards.

For Alfred, her season began in February running indoors, as she claimed victories at the New Mexico collegiate Classic and the Millrose Games. She followed this up with a spectacular performance at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, where she won gold in the 60m sprint, become the first person from her country to do so.

The 23-year-old then moved on to the outdoor season, where she put up similarly dominating performance. In the 100m, she finished second at the Prefontaine Classic, and won the Racers Grand Prix as well as the Monaco Diamond League. Meanwhile, the 200m saw her win the Mt. SAC Relays and the Gyulai István Memorial, while placing second at the London Diamond League.

Julien Alfred then moved on to the Paris Olympics, where she was crowned champion in the 100m and silver-medalist in the 200m. This feat made her the first Saint Lucian to win an Olympic medal of any color. Now, she has been recognised for her efforts and was awarded the ‘Best Female Athlete of Paris 2024’ by the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).

Julien Alfred on receiving the ‘Best Female Athlete of Paris 2024’ award

Alfred at the Diamond League Final 2024 (Image Source: Getty)

For Julien Alfred, this award is a recognition of the sacrifices she made to get to the top. The Saint Lucian explained that she hopes this award inspires the youth of her nation, saying (as quoted by PANAM Sports):

“This award means a lot to me. The truth is it shows that all the heart and sacrifice I had to put into this challenge was for a reason. I receive this award hoping that it can inspire an entire nation and the youth of my country and be able to show that sacrifice is necessary to be able to get where you want to go. This year showed me what you can do if you believe in yourself, if you believe in your coach and in God. I am very happy for this award and I dedicate it to my entire country.”

For her spectacular performances this year, Julien Alfred has also been nominated for World Athletics’ 2024 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year. Her fellow nominees are Gabby Thomas, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Marileidy Paulino, Faith Kipyegon, and Beatrice Chebet.