Julien Alfred’s latest 200m performance may not have lit up the clock like her Gainesville stunner, but there’s more to the story than just numbers. After a blistering start to her 2025 campaign, marked by a jaw-dropping 21.88s in Florida, expectations skyrocketed around the reigning NCAA sprint queen. So when Alfred posted a comparatively slower time in her most recent outing, eyebrows were raised and whispers started. Was something wrong in her first race of the season outside the United States?
But a closer look reveals the truth behind the stat sheet. Numbers alone never tell the full story. The Saint Lucian sprint queen touched down in Europe and lit up Zagreb like a superstar on tour. Racing the 200m at the prestigious Zagreb Meeting, Alfred didn’t just win. She left the field behind, raising more questions than answers about a time that didn’t quite match the hype but certainly didn’t match the dominance she displayed. None of her competitors came remotely close to matching her pace, once again proving that Alfred isn’t just winning races. She’s running in a league of her own. Those concerned by the clock are missing the bigger picture.
Coach Rob uploaded a YouTube video where he discussed Julien Alfred’s latest 200m showing and his breakdown painted a clear picture of dominance masked by raw numbers. “Nobody even had a PR for the most part that was even in the lower half of the 22s,” he explained, setting the scene for just how far ahead Alfred was expected to be. “So when she showed up to race, all eyes were going to be on her — and really, they were going to be on her and the clock.” The spotlight was never in question. Battling a -0.8 m/s headwind, she surged through the curve and cruised home in 22.15 seconds. And true to form, Alfred didn’t just handle the pressure. She dictated the narrative.
“The gun goes off, and Julien Alfred does Julien Alfred things,” Coach Rob continued. “She runs away from everybody very early. By the time she’s off the turn, that race was over. And the announcer said it themselves — the race is very well at hand. We’re just focusing on the clock.” And he wasn’t wrong. From the moment she powered out of Lane 7, Alfred controlled the race with her signature explosiveness. A time many sprinters can only dream of, especially in such conditions. Spain’s Jael Bestué and Hungary’s Boglarka Takács, her closest competitors, were left in a different zip code, trailing by almost a full second.
Coach Rob put it best when he added, “When you look at the results, nobody is even close to her. We’re talking almost a second between her and the next finisher. The race was more or less a time trial. Now granted, I expected that — but Julien Alfred is a big deal.” And that’s exactly what this race revealed. It wasn’t just a routine win. It was a bold, blistering international statement from a sprinter who looked both confident and comfortable on foreign soil. Even this early into the season, Alfred is owning the stage, one dominant run at a time.
Julien Alfred’s sprint reign is expanding
Julien Alfred’s 2025 season has been nothing short of electrifying. From the moment she blazed to a staggering 21.88s in Gainesville, the 23-year-old Saint Lucian is known for her versatility and raw speed, Alfred is not only proving her dominance in the 100m and 200m, but also redefining what it means to be a multi-event sprint star. After becoming Saint Lucia’s first-ever Olympic medalist with gold in the 100m and silver in the 200m at Paris 2024, she’s returned to the track this year with a target on her back and she’s wearing it like armor.
The real showstopper came on April 5 at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida. Competing in the women’s 300m, Alfred went toe-to-toe with Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson arguably one of the most feared names in the 200m and edged her out by just 0.08 seconds. Alfred clocked 36.05s to Jackson’s 36.13s, setting a new national record and proving that she’s no one-event wonder. The Miramar Invitational, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet, became her stage to showcase a different layer of her speed, proving she can conquer not only straight sprints but the curve too. Her response after the race was as grounded as it was telling, “Going forward, I am just going to keep on working hard and trust myself.”
That win wasn’t just about numbers. It sent a ripple through the sprinting world. With Jackson still rebuilding form post-Olympics, Alfred’s dominance this early in the season gives her both a psychological and tactical edge heading into the championship stretch. What’s becoming increasingly clear is that Julien Alfred is no longer trying to prove she belongs. She’s already taken her seat at the table. And if Zagreb was any indication, she might be carving out her own throne.
The post True Reason Behind Julien Alfred’s Slow Time Revealed After Concerns Rise Over Olympic Champion’s Latest Performance appeared first on EssentiallySports.