Julien Alfred Day in Saint Lucia Date in the current year: September 27, 2024

A small island country in the Caribbean, Saint Lucia has participated in every Summer Olympic Games since 1996. As of 2024, the nation has been represented in athletics (men’s 100 meters, men’s 400 meters, men’s 4 x 400 meters relay, men’s pole vault, men’s marathon, women’s 100 meters, women’s 200 meters, women’s 400 meters, women’s javelin throw, men’s and women’s high jump), swimming (men’s and women’s 50 meters freestyle, men’s 100 meters freestyle, women’s 100 meters butterfly, women’s 100 meters breaststroke), and sailing.

Saint Lucia did not win any medals in its first seven Summer Olympics. Everything changed in 2024, when Julien Alfred won two medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, a gold in the women’s 100 meters and a silver in the women’s 200 meters. She also became the first non-Jamaican 100 meters winner since 2004.

Julien Alfred was born on June 10, 2001 in Castries. She started her education in Saint Lucia but moved to Jamaica at age 14 to attend St. Catherine High School. Upon graduation, Alfred enrolled at the University of Texas, where she combined academic studies and athletics.

As a junior athlete, Alfred was the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games 100 meters champion and the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics 100 meters silver medalist. In 2022, she set a new US collegiate 60 meter records at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships, becoming one of the world’s top 30 fastest women ever. That same year, she won the women’s 100 meters event at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships and received a silver medal in the women’s 100 meters event at the Commonwealth Games.

In 2023, Alfred represented Saint Lucia at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. She qualified for the finals of the 100 meters and 200 meters, finishing fifth and fourth, respectively. She also won gold in the women’s 100 meters event at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games.

In 2024, Alfred won the women’s 60 meters event at the World Athletics Indoor Championships and the women’s 100 meters event at the Diamond League event in Monaco. However, her real triumph occurred at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where Alfred won gold in the women’s 100 meters event with a new national record, earning Saint Lucia its first ever Olympic medal. She also won a silver medal in the 200 meters event three days later, finishing behind Gabrielle Thomas from the United States.

To celebrate Julien Alfred’s historic medals, the government of Saint Lucia officially designated September 27 as a public holiday in her honor. In 2024, Julien Alfred Day was the highlight of a week-long celebration spanning from September 24 to 29, which included a motorcade, school rallies, the unveiling of a mural dedicated to Alfred at her primary school, a grand concert, and other festive events and activities.