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via Reuters

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via Reuters

The 2025 season had been going great for Julien Alfred until she stepped into the Prefontaine Classic. Carrying an undefeated streak, the Olympic gold medalist walked into the Hayward Field at the University of Oregon with only one intention – to avenge herself on the 2024 Prefontaine loss to Sha’Carri Richardson. She had claimed victory in a time of 10.83s (+1.5) to win the women’s 100m at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic, defeating Julien Alfred🇱🇨 in 2nd with 10.93. The American did take her mark on the track for the 2025 one as well, but turns out the biggest competition to Saint Lucia’s athlete had to worry about another one.

Julien exploded from the blocks in Eugene, surging ahead in her signature style. But America’s rising star, Melissa Jefferson‑Wooden, refused to yield—her lightning-fast 10.75s finish nailing the win by a razor-thin 0.02s over Alfred’s 10.77s. Sure, she did lose the race, but again, she triumphed over Sha’Carri Richardson this time, who finished 9th with a time of 11.19. What else? This crazy fact about Julien-

NBC Sports Director of Social Media, Travis Miller, posted on X, “It’s been 441 days since 100m Olympic champ 🇱🇨Julien Alfred ran an 11-second race! 🤯EVERY sub-11 wind legal and half into a headwind.” On April 27, 2024, under a powerful +3.5 m/s tailwind at Austin’s Mike A. Myers Stadium hosting the Texas Invitational, Julien  Alfred lined up in the women’s 100 metres final. Racing alongside standouts like Rhasidat Adeleke. Result?

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Adeleke surged to victory in a wind‑assisted 10.84 seconds, trailed by Celera Barnes (10.94) and Dina Asher‑Smith (11.10). Julien Alfred crossed fourth, clocking 11.15 seconds. This was the last time Saint Lucia’s athlete clocked an 11-second race. Ever since then, she has been clocking sub-11 every time she has been on the track. She even clocked her personal best in the 100 meters after this, which came in the finals of the 2024 Olympics, where she clocked a time of 10.72 for the gold.

This was the race where she had defeated Sha’Carri Richardson (10.87) and Melissa Jefferson‑Wooden (10.92). Now Melissa had outrun her, and though Sha’Carri is yet to show up after her debut and the last-place finish in the Prefontaine Classic, you cannot count her out because when the moment comes, she might be the one running fastest. So, when it comes to World Championships, can the Olympic Gold medalist win it?

What’s your perspective on:

Can Julien Alfred reclaim her dominance, or will Melissa Jefferson-Wooden continue to steal the spotlight?

Have an interesting take?

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Julien Alfred might win the world championships

The outdoor season of the 24-year-old might be the key to her victory in the 2025 World Championships. Why? To begin with, she has lost only one race in the 100m, and she also confessed to her love for the 100m more than the 200m. She launched her outdoor campaign at the Bislett Games, storming to victory in her first 100 m of the season. Alfred clocked a swift 10.89 s (+1.1 m/s), the world’s 2 legal time so far, outpacing Marie-Josée Ta Lou‑Smith and Dina Asher‑Smith. At Bauhaus-galan, she shattered a 31‑year meeting record with a scintillating 10.75 s (+0.9 m/s).

After a narrow defeat at Prefontaine, Alfred responded in style. Against a headwind (–1.4 m/s), she powered to 10.79 s, her third sub‑10.80 clocking this season, ahead of Jacious  Sears and Zoe Hobbs. She also has Justin Gatlin’s backing as well. But the narrow defeat in Prefontaine makes things complicated, because that came against Melissa Jefferson, another top contender for the 100m title in the world championships. Starting from the Grand Slam Track in Kingston to the Prefontaine Classic, she has not lost a single 100m this season. Who’s your pick? 

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"Can Julien Alfred reclaim her dominance, or will Melissa Jefferson-Wooden continue to steal the spotlight?"

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