The anticipation had been bubbling all week. Fans on social media couldn’t hold back. “Can’t wait for this, everyone looks stacked but Julien has to be the favorite.” And this was just one comment! X was blowing up with anticipation, with fandom and onlookers just waiting for the moment. But what was this hype all about?

Simple—Julien Alfred was making her long-awaited return to the 200m, her first outing over the distance since the Paris Olympics. The stakes were high. The expectations? Even higher. And when the gun went off? She delivered—no, she dominated!

On April 18, Julien Alfred stopped the clock at 21.88 seconds (0.2), blazing to victory in the Tom Jones Memorial and snatching the world lead in the event. That time toppled American track and field star India Mayberry’s 22.30 from March 15, a mark that had sat atop the world leads… until Julien touched the track. But here’s the kicker: 21.88 is just 0.02 seconds off her personal best and the St. Lucian national record. That means in her very first outdoor 200m of the season, she was a literal blink away from rewriting her own history.

So, imagine brushing shoulders with your own greatness—on your first try back. That’s not just a statement race. That’s a warning shot to the world. Just look at the names who had to accept defeat today to Julien Alfred- behind her, elite names like Nigerian athlete Favour Ofili (22.34) and the American athlete Tamari Davis (22.37) were left chasing shadows. Favour held on for second, Tamari rounded out the podium in third. And the Irish athlete Rhasidat Adeleke, another top contender? She gave it her all but landed in fourth with 22.57. This wasn’t just a race. It was a reminder. Julien Alfred had told the track world what was coming. And when the moment arrived? She delivered with the power of a prophecy fulfilled.

But do you remember what she said three weeks ago?

Julien Alfred hinted at what’s coming 

When Julien Alfred stood at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays on March 29, she dropped a quiet hint, almost like a whisper before the storm. “We do have one more 300 to run. But then, that’s like next week. And then we’ll be focusing on my 100 and 200.” Simple words. Just another checkpoint on her return to outdoor form. But what no one fully realized in that moment was that those calm words were the calm before a blaze. A spark hiding in plain sight. Because what followed wasn’t just a comeback. It was a revelation.

She did, came in the very next week for the 300m in the Miramar Invitational, and Julien Alferd not just finished on top but also recorded her personal best by clocking 36.05. Now she has again blazed 200m. But behind the scenes, there was work. Grit. Pain. Sacrifice. And most importantly, trust.“You know, he has a plan. I’m just following his plan. Even though it hurts a lot, I trust him and what he has for me.” Those were Julien’s words about her coach, Edrick Floreal. Words not of comfort, but of conviction. The kind of belief forged in early mornings, aching legs, and silent reps when no one’s watching. The kind of belief that says: ‘This will be worth it.’ And then came Friday, April 18. And what landed on Friday? A moment that meant everything.