Julien Alfred explains why she cried after being featured in featured Netflix documentary

Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred has explained why she broke down in tears in Netflix’s SPRINT.

The moment offered a rare glimpse into the emotional weight behind her historic rise to the top of world athletics.

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Alfred was one of the standout stars in Season Two of SPRINT, which premiered in November 2024.

The documentary followed her intense training, mounting pressure, and deeply personal journey to Olympic glory at the Paris 2024 Games, alongside elite sprinters such as Noah Lyles and Gabby Thomas.

One of the most striking moments showed the Saint Lucian athlete overwhelmed with emotion, a scene that resonated with viewers around the world.

Reflecting on that moment, Alfred revealed that the tears were the release of emotions she had kept bottled up for a long time.

“I think there were so many things that I held inside that I released at the time. One, my dad not being there to celebrate me. And I think the realization that I actually did it because earlier on that year, I almost gave up,” she told Citius Mag.

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She admitted that her season could have taken a very different turn had it not been for timely intervention from her coach.

“Thankfully, coach gave me a call and asked me to get myself together and come to training, even if it meant taking a break from competing,” she added.

According to Alfred, winning at the highest level came with a wave of disbelief and emotional release.

“But during that time, I just had to release my emotions. I couldn't believe that I had won at the time. It was just so many things that I had to really just let go during that time,” she offered.

The emotional breakthrough came after a remarkable progression in her career.

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In 2023, Alfred competed at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where she qualified for the 100m final and finished fifth.

She also reached the 200m final, placing fourth, signaling her growing presence among the world’s elite.

Her breakthrough year came in 2024 when she claimed gold in the women’s 60m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, clocking a world-leading 6.98 seconds.

The victory marked Saint Lucia’s first-ever World Athletics Indoor Championship medal.

Alfred then etched her name into history at the Paris 2024 Olympics, winning Saint Lucia’s first Olympic medal with gold in the women’s 100m.

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She followed that with a silver medal in the 200m, capping off a dream season that elevated her to a global icon.

Looking ahead, Alfred is set to return to The Armory in New York City on February 1, 2026, where she will headline the women’s 60m at the 118th edition of the Millrose Games.

She last competed at the prestigious meet in 2024, winning the 60m in a meet-record 6.99 seconds, before going on to claim World Indoor and Olympic titles later that year.

Her 60m personal best of 6.94 seconds places her joint second on the all-time list, and she has not lost a 60m race since 2022.

At Millrose, Alfred will face a strong field including 2019 200m world champion Dina Asher-Smith, Aleia Hobbs and Jacious Sears.

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Organizers also confirmed that 60m hurdles world record holder and two-time World Indoor champion Devynne Charlton will headline the women’s 60m hurdles.

Charlton broke the world record in 2024 with a time of 7.67 before lowering it to 7.65 at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.