Caribbean sprint sensation and Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred made a powerful statement to start her 2025 campaign over the 200m, clocking 21.88 seconds (0.2m/s) to dominate the Olympic Development Women’s 200m event on Day 1 at the Tom Jones Memorial meet here in Gainesville, Florida, on Friday (18).
The performance stands as the second-fastest wind-legal outdoor women’s 200m ever recorded this early in a calendar year, missing Alfred’s own Saint Lucian national record by just 0.02 seconds. She set that mark of 21.86 in London last July.
Alfred’s time, however, bettered the 22.32 seconds previous world-leading mark set by American Madison Whyte earlier this month.
The Olympic silver medalist in the event raced away from the competition, finishing nearly half a second ahead of her closest rivals. Nigeria’s Favour Ofili took second place in 22.34, while American Tamari Davis claimed third in 22.37. American Maia McCoy ran 22.55 for fourth place, with Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke, a former teammate of Alfred at the University of Texas, rounding out the top five with a time of 22.57.
Friday’s race in Gainesville marked Alfred’s first 200m competition since her silver at the Paris Olympics last August, and it is significantly quicker than the 22.58 seconds she opened her outdoor campaign with in 2024.
This impressive showing follows Alfred’s limited indoor season where she competed in select events, including a 36.16 performance in the 300m. Her outdoor season began with a 4x400m relay leg in Austin before she posted a strong 36.05 in the 300m at Miramar two weeks ago.
The 23-year-old sprinter’s outdoor season began with a 4x400m relay leg in Austin before she posted a strong 36.05 in the 300m in Miramar, Florida, on April 5, en route to beating Shericka Jackson of Jamaica.
Meanwhile, Joseph Fahnbulleh, the former Florida Gator, won the men’s Olympic Development 200m with a time of 20.07 seconds (1.3 m/s). American Javonte’ Harding was second with 20.19, third place went to USA’s Demarius Smith (20.29), while Bahamian former world and Olympic champion, Steven Gardiner clocked 20.40 (-1.0 m/s) for fourth overall after winning his heat.
However, the quickest time of the day went to Auburn’s Makanakaishe Charamba, who posted 19.99 (-0.8 m/s) in the invitational section of the men’s 200m.
