One of track and field’s most in-form sprinters, Julien Alfred, is gearing up for a highly anticipated title defense at the 2026 Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, where she will line up for the women’s 100m on Wednesday, June 10 – a date that also marks her 25th birthday.
Entering the Oslo meet, the Saint Lucian sprint star has remained undefeated across three outdoor races in the 2026 season, and this appearance will mark her second stop on the 2026 Wanda Diamond League circuit. Just one week before stepping onto Bislett Stadium’s track, Alfred claimed gold in the 200m at the Diamond League stop in Rome, carrying that momentum into her title defense run.
Alfred kicked off her 2026 outdoor campaign one month prior to the Oslo meet, clocking an impressive 10.93 seconds in the 100m despite wet, rainy conditions at a meet in Texas. That performance currently ranks as the 10th-fastest 100m time recorded by any sprinter globally this season. As the defending women’s 100m champion at the Bislett Games, Alfred already has history on her side at the Oslo venue: last year, she crossed the finish line first with a 10.89-second run to take the top spot on the podium.
That 2025 Oslo visit also brought Alfred a memorable personal milestone: she met Usain Bolt, the legendary Jamaican sprinter who holds the 100m and 200m world records and is an eight-time Olympic gold medalist, for the first time. Alfred has long named Bolt as one of her biggest athletic inspirations, and the encounter remains a core memory for her.
“That was probably one of the best birthday gifts I could have gotten,” Alfred said of the 2025 meeting. “I’m still thinking about that day! And just being here again… I can just remember my first time meeting him, but it was amazing last year. I’m looking forward to what this year brings… I think that it was just amazing, and you know, I’ll cherish that moment forever.”
Over the course of her young career, Alfred has already built an impressive medal collection spanning the world’s top track and field competitions. Her accolades include 100m gold and 200m silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics, 100m silver at the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships, and a combined one gold and one silver medal in the 60m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships. Though she is widely recognized as a premier 100m specialist, Alfred has shifted her perspective in recent years, growing to embrace competing in the 200m after previously dreading the distance.
“In college, definitely, I preferred the 100,” Alfred explained. “However, I think after doing the 400 last year, the 300s as well, and multiple 200s, I would say it definitely helped my 100, especially the last part. But I’m not solely focused on just the 100; I’m actually enjoying the 200 now. As compared to college, I honestly hated running the 200! But I would do it for my team, for points as well, and because my coach felt I was really good at it. I think it’s just a matter of trusting myself and going out there and, you know, just having fun in the 200. But I love the 100.”
One major gap remains in Alfred’s decorated resume: she has not yet claimed a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. The 2026 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to run from late July to early August in Glasgow, Scotland, and while Alfred has previously signaled her intent to compete, her participation remains uncertain with just six weeks remaining before the competition kicks off.
“It’s on the schedule, but it’s really up in the air right now,” she admitted. “I think it really depends on just how my body feels and just what my team decides at the time.”
For fans eager to watch Alfred’s birthday title run, the women’s 100m at the Oslo Bislett Games is scheduled to get underway shortly after 3 p.m. local Eastern Caribbean time on Wednesday.