Saint Lucia declare “Julien Alfred Day” in honour of Olympic women’s 100m champion Julien Alfred
Olympic champion Julien Alfred will be celebrated in a national holiday named in her honour, the Saint Lucian government announced.
“Julien Alfred Day” will be held on 27 September to celebrate Saint Lucia’s first Olympic gold medallist, marked with days of celebration culminating in a free concert on the day of the holiday.
As per SportsMax, Alfred is set to return home on 24 September, with plans to greet her with a motorcade before further celebrations at schools the following day. The 23-year-old will then unveil a mural of herself at a primary school on the island.
Alfred won gold in the women’s 100m at Paris 2024, running 10.72s to claim a national record and the island’s first Olympic title in its history.
She pipped American rivals Sha’carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson to claim the top spot on the podium at the Stade de France.
The Saint Lucian sprinter also won silver in the women’s 200m, ending the Games as her nation’s only medallist. In fact, Alfred became Saint Lucia’s first ever Olympic medallist, her two medals being the first for the island in eight Olympic appearances.
Alfred previously spoke of her ambition to represent Saint Lucia at the Olympics. She told Olympics.com in August 2023, “I think it would be a proud moment, not just for me and my family, but my country. And I think that for them [seeing] the flag of St. Lucia flying high around that time, I think it would be a proud moment for my country.”