Just a day after celebrating her 24th birthday, Julien Alfred lit up the Oslo Diamond League with the kind of finish that only a reigning Olympic champion can deliver. In front of a sold-out Oslo crowd, Alfred tore through the women’s 100m field and crossed the line in 10.89 seconds. But it wasn’t just about the time. It was who she left behind that made the win matter more.

Because in that final, running a 100m opener that some had quietly marked as a test of her current form, stood Britain’s Daryll Neita. One of the sport’s rising names and training partner of American sprint king Noah Lyles. For Alfred, it was the perfect scenario to make a statement. And she did, leaving Neita trailing as she surged past all challengers to announce. The queen of the short sprints is still in command.

That third lane showdown was where everything unfolded. Alfred, stepping out for her first 100m race of the season, looked calm but focused. She was up against not just Neita, but seasoned sprinters like Marie-Josée Ta Lou and Dina Asher-Smith. Yet it was Neita who had drawn attention with her Lyles connection and recent form. Alfred didn’t flinch.

When the gun went off, she exploded out of the blocks, kept her rhythm, and never looked back. Neita, who had been tipped to push Alfred, was nowhere near the fight for the win. Instead, Ta Lou came in second with a season-best 11.00, while Asher-Smith took third at 11.08. But by then, Alfred had already jogged past the finish and into the spotlight.

Despite Neita clocking a season’s best timing of 11.20, it was not enough. Not able to secure a top-three finish, Neita lingered in the 7th place instead. Coming back to Alfred, with one clean run, she turned Oslo into her stage. And silenced any whispers about rust or pressure. It’s the kind of performance that adds to the legend she’s quietly building. Olympic gold? Done. Diamond League champion?

Already. Beating the best in their lanes, even when they’re backed by star power and world-class training partners? That’s just another Thursday for Julien Alfred. However, there might be a secret behind Alfred’s electric sprint. And that is meeting her idol, Usain Bolt.

How did it turn out when reigning Olympic champ Julien Alfred finally met her idol 

Julien Alfred had waited her whole life for this moment, and when it came, she didn’t hesitate. With the eyes of the athletics world on Oslo ahead of the 2025 Diamond League event, the Saint Lucian sprint star locked onto a familiar figure at the Bislett Stadium. There, standing just meters away, was the man who had inspired her journey from Castries to Olympic glory, Usain Bolt! 

“It was so surreal!” Alfred told Olympics.com. Alfred continued, “He’s been my idol since I was young, and finally getting the chance to meet him in Oslo is so surreal to me. I’m still in awe.” The eight-time Olympic champion had flown into Norway as a special guest, drawing instant attention from athletes and fans alike. But for Alfred, it wasn’t about the spectacle. It was personal.

She had spent three formative years in Jamaica, where Bolt’s legacy loomed large. And though their paths had never crossed, she recognized her opportunity. As she made her approach on the track, she wasn’t just meeting a legend. She was stepping into a moment she’d long dreamed of. Alfred seized that moment to ask the question that had weighed on her since her Paris 2024 triumphs: “How do you move on from such a high?”

Bolt’s answer was straight from the champion’s playbook. He stated, “Don’t get distracted by so many things happening around you. So many opportunities come your way, but you really have to stay focused.” On one hand, Alfred had just secured her 100m win. But this time, her bigger win would undoubtedly be the words of wisdom that the champ got to hear from her idol, the legend himself!