"I think after that loss, I changed my mentality"-Julien Alfred opens up about handling defeat to Sha'Carri Richardson & overcoming it at Brussels DL

Julien Alfred spoke about handling defeat in her appearance at the Zurich Diamond League where she went head-to-head against Sha'Carri Richardson in the women's 100m. Richardson clinched the title after clocking 10.84s and Alfred finished second with a time of 10.88s.

The race was termed as the Olympic rematch by fans as the two competed against each other in the 1000m finals at the Paris Olympics where Alfred emerged victorious.

The Saint Lucian athlete reclaimed the top spot two weeks later at the Brussels Diamond League Finals where she put forward a dominant display and won the gold medal against a highly competitive line-up that included Sha'Carri Richardson and Dina Asher-Smith.

She spoke about overcoming the loss at the Zurich Diamond League in a post-race interview in Brussels.

“There was no pressure for me whatsoever. I feel like if there was pressure, it would be Zurich because it was my first race after the Olympics. But I think after that loss, I changed my mentality a little bit just to almost feel like I’m chasing somebody,” Alfred said.

"So, it helped me to change my mindset. I feel like I was a little too relaxed after the Olympics and I was just trying to enjoy the rest of the season. But after Zurich that kind of changed my mind," she added.

Julien Alfred on the aftermath of winning her first Olympic gold medal in Paris

Julien Alfred at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme 2024 - Diamond League Final 2024 - Source: Getty

Julien Alfred opened up about winning her first Olympic gold medal in Paris in a post-race interview at the Zurich Diamond League. She etched her name in the history books by winning the first-ever Olympic gold medal for her country and was honored with a national holiday for her outstanding pursuits.

"It feels good. Right now, I'm just really having fun. I'm trying to finish strong. I relaxed for a few days but I haven't gotten the chance to actually take it all in," she said.

Moreover, she spoke about the aspects of her game that she will be working on as she continues her pursuits to achieve greater goals in the sport.

"It’s been up and down. Still working on fine-tuning and still working on all that stuff," she concluded.

Alfred will be returning to Saint Lucia on September 24, 2024, after a long season campaign, that includes the Paris Olympics and the Diamond League series.