'It's Been Really Hard' – Julien Alfred Reflects on Bronze at World Indoor Championships and 2026 Plans

Julien Alfred has opened up about plans for the 2026 season after claiming a bronze medal in the women's 60m at the World Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland.

The reigning Olympic 100m champion crossed the finish line in third, clocking 7.03 seconds. Italy’s Zaynab Dosso won the race in 7.00 seconds as Jacious Sears finished second in 7.03 seconds.

The world 100m bronze medallist has competed sparingly in her buildup to the World Indoor Championships, winning the race at the Wooo Pig Classic.

Julien Alfred then went ahead to compete at the Tyson Invitational, winning the 60m race in a world-leading time of 6.99 seconds.

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Julien Alfred reflected on her recent indoor season, explaining that she began her campaign later than usual, only starting in the first week of February.

She admitted that her initial aim had been to secure a gold medal, but she expressed contentment with winning bronze, emphasising that maintaining her health was the most important outcome. Looking ahead, Julien Alfred noted that this performance sets the stage for her preparations for the outdoor season.

Recounting the period after the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, she described it as a challenging time. Following her withdrawal from the 200m event due to injury, she took about two months away from competition to rest and recover.

During that time, she returned home and organised a retreat for her friends, allowing herself both relaxation and a mental reset. She then gradually resumed training around mid-November after visiting Dr Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrtfor for medical treatment and a thorough check-up to ensure her body was ready for the next phase of her athletic season.

“I mean, obviously, I started indoors very late, like the first week in February. I mean, the goal was to leave with a gold medal, obviously, but I'm living in bronze, I'm healthy, which is most important, and onto the outdoors from here,” Julien Alfred told the Inside Lane.

“It's been up and down, to be quite honest. After Tokyo, I took about two months off. And I went back home, took my friends on a retreat at Body Holiday back in St. Lucia and then I went back to training, maybe around mid-November, after going to Dr Muller for some treatment and getting my body checked out.”

Julien Alfred shared her thoughts on the indoor season, expressing amazement at having competed and left with a bronze medal, especially considering she had nearly overlooked the indoor campaign altogether.

She reflected on how significant the experience has been for her personal growth, admitting that one of her biggest lessons has been learning to handle defeat and recover from setbacks.

Julien Alfred explained that she is now working with a mentor coach who is guiding her to understand that things not going as planned are not the end of the world, a concept that has been challenging but transformative.

She described how gruelling her training has been, with long workouts and demanding practice sessions that pushed her to her limits. Through these experiences, she realised the importance of simply being herself on the track, accepting mistakes and outcomes without letting them define her.

Despite any disappointments or moments when she did not achieve the top spot, she expressed gratitude for her life, health, and opportunities, emphasising that these are what truly matter and that she has nothing to complain about.

“It hurts me to say this, but my biggest lesson now is learning how to lose and how I bounce back from that is the most important thing. I'm working for a mentor coach now who's really teaching me that if it doesn't go your way, then the world doesn't end,” Julien Alfred added.

“And it's been really hard. It's a different practice where I was literally getting my butt kicked every single day in practice in the long workouts and blocks. And I think I really had to learn the hard way to come out here and really just be Julian.

“Even though I mess up, even though I don't leave with a medal or a hard way, then oh well, the world keeps on spinning. And I have nothing to complain about. I have life. I have health. And yeah, I'm really grateful.”