Olympic Champion Julien Alfred to receive heroic welcome in Saint Lucia today

Saint Lucia is all set to roll out the red carpet for its golden girl, Julien Alfred, as the Olympic Gold, Silver Champion and Diamond League Champion will be arriving at the Hewanorra International Airport today at 3 pm.

The sprint queen will be coming back to her home town after marking history at the Paris Olympic Games 2024 as she won Saint Lucia’s first ever Olympic gold in the 100m category, setting a national record of 10.72 seconds in the final. 

She also grabbed a silver in the 200m category, becoming the first individual to win two medals at the international games. 

The government of Saint Lucia is now inviting everyone to be part of her Homecoming Celebrations. 

“As we prepare for the massive Homecoming welcome, celebration and show of love for Queen Juju, let us all play our part to ensure that tomorrow's event rolls out smoothly,” said the government through its official Facebook page.

The celebration will kick off with a motorcade along the East Coast which will depart from the airport then through the community of Ciceron, briefly passing through the city of Castries. The motorcade will conclude at The Body Holiday Hotel in Cap Estate.

As of yesterday, final preparations were being made for Julien Alfred’s homecoming. Sports Minister Kenson Casimir also encouraged all Saint Lucians to join in the celebrations which begin with her arrival at the airport today.

It is reported that a delegation consisting of government ministers and other officials led by Prime Minister Philip J Pierre will welcome her on the tarmac. This will be followed by a reception followed by the motorcade scheduled to begin at 3:30 pm.

The general public will also have a chance to see Alfred the following day at school rallies first of which will take place in the morning in Dennery, and the other will be held in the afternoon at the Ciceron Primary School.

In addition to this, there will be a public holiday on September 27 in Alfred’s honour which will be marked by a grand celebratory concert where Prime Minister Pierre will unveil what she will be awarded by the state in recognition of her outstanding Olympic performance.