CASTRIES, St. Lucia — Sprinting royalty has spoken, and the decision is emphatic: Julien Alfred is the lady to beat in Tokyo. That’s the view of Justin Gatlin, the previous Olympic and World Champion, who has thrown his assist behind St. Lucia’s dash sensation following her electrifying performances on the 2025 circuit.
– Commercial –
Alfred, recent off a surprising 21.71-second victory within the 200 meters on the London Diamond League—the quickest time on the planet this yr—has caught the eye of observe and area’s elite. And few endorsements carry extra weight than Gatlin’s.
“What we acquired in retailer”: Gatlin predicts sooner instances forward
Gatlin, a seasoned veteran with Olympic gold and two World Championship titles to his identify, believes Alfred is barely getting began. With the World Athletics Championships set for September in Tokyo, Gatlin sees Alfred because the frontrunner for double gold within the 100m and 200m.
“Normally, once you hear about ninth all-time, fifth all-time, second, third all-time, these are often run in championship settings,” Gatlin defined. “You’re often giving your quickest effort for a very powerful race.”
“To have the ability to run that type of time through the Diamond League tells you what we acquired in retailer developing within the subsequent couple races.”
Alfred’s 21.71 ranks her among the many quickest girls in historical past and cements her standing as a critical contender. Within the 100m, she trails solely Melissa Jefferson-Wood of the USA this yr—a razor-thin margin that units the stage for a possible Tokyo showdown.
From Paris podium to Tokyo goal
Alfred’s 2024 Olympic marketing campaign in Paris noticed her clinch gold within the 100m and silver within the 200m, affirming her place among the many world’s sprinting elite. Nonetheless solely 24 years outdated, the St Lucian star continues to evolve—technically refined, mentally robust, and now armed with the boldness that comes from worldwide dominance.
However behind her success, Gatlin says, is one other driving pressure: her coach, Edrick “Flo” Floreal.
The Flo issue: Teaching calm into greatness
Gatlin credited Floreal’s deep psychological and emotional perception as important to Alfred’s meteoric rise, describing him as a coach who masterfully balances depth with empathy.
“Flo is that type of coach; he’s going to get into your head, he’s going to speak to you,” Gatlin stated. “You get an understanding of what sort of coach you’re coping with; that creates an athlete like this. Like, she’s not even fearful about instances. They only clipping it off.”
In line with Gatlin, Floreal’s means to defuse strain and prioritize effort over expectation has helped Alfred keep grounded and targeted.
“He’s most likely telling her, ‘Don’t fear about instances. It’s all about effort … You come again on this warm-up space, you’re gonna get a pleasant hug, pat on the again; mission completed’!”
“That takes away plenty of strain … A whole lot of athletes get down on themselves like, ‘man, that’s not the time I wish to hit,’ however they don’t realise the grasp plan is all the time within the coach’s head. And that’s why they are saying, ‘Flo is aware of.’”
A champion’s confidence, a nation’s hope
With Gatlin’s public backing and Floreal’s steering behind her, Julien Alfred is poised not solely to symbolize her nation with satisfaction however to rewrite the worldwide sprinting narrative. All eyes now flip to Tokyo, the place Alfred will search to show potential into podiums—gold, to be exact.
