"It didn’t have any effect on me whatsoever"- 100m Gold medalist Julien Alfred opens up on competing in the rain during finals at the Paris Olympics

Julien Alfred opened up on competing in the women's 100m finals in a post-race press conference. The athlete from Saint Lucia spoke about competing in the rain during the finals of the major event.

Alfred clocked 10.72s to clinch the gold medal in the women's 100m at the Paris Olympics. She etched her name into the history books by becoming the first-ever Olympic medalist from Saint Lucia. Alfred was expected to have a tough contest with USA's Sha'Carri Richardson. However, she delivered a dominant performance and won the contest with a lead of 0.1s, with the American clocking 10.87s to clinch the silver medal.

The athletes contested in the women's 100m final while it was raining. The Olympic gold medalist spoke about the experience of competing in the rain and wet track in such a major final in a post-race press conference at the Paris Olympics.

She revealed that she was already prepared for such conditions, as her coach, Edrick Floreal, conducted several training sessions in the rain ahead of the Paris Olympics.

"You know what, Coach Flo sometimes has us train in the rain. You’ve got to be prepared for anything at all. It didn’t have any effect on me whatsoever," Julien Alfred said. (1:13)

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Julien Alfred in the 2024 Olympic season

Julien Alfred - Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 8 - Source: Getty

After finishing fifth in the 100m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships held in Budapest, Julien Alfred went on to bring about substantial improvements in her performance. She began 2024 with great momentum, keeping the Paris Olympics in foresight.

Alfred clinched the gold medal in the World Athletics Indoor Championships held in Glasgow in the 60m with a world-leading time of 6.98s, creating history by winning Saint Lucia's first-ever medal in the event. After establishing her dominance in the indoor season, she marched on to the outdoor season.

Alfred competed in the Prefontaine Classic and placed second, finishing behind USA's Sha'Carri Richardson with a time of 10.93s. She went on to compete in the Racers Grand Prix held in Kingston, Jamaica, where she lowered her season's best and clocked 10.78s to equal the stadium record on June 1, 2024.

With steady improvements in her performances in the 2024 season, Alfred was considered to be one of the top athletes competing in the 100 and 200m at the Olympic Games in Paris. After clinching the gold medal in the women's 100m at the Paris Olympics, she will be in action in the women's 200m round 1 scheduled on August 4, 2024, at 4:55 am ET.