Heartwarming scenes as Julien Alfred receives hero’s welcome in St Lucia after Olympic gold

Published

1 year ago

September 26, 2024

Julien Alfred returned to Saint Lucia after winning the island’s first-ever gold medals at the Olympic Games
The 23-year-old received a warm welcome from thousands of fans who flocked to the streets to see their gold medallist
Alfred defeated world champion Sha’Carri Richardson to win gold in Paris, ending Jamaica’s dominance

Julien Alfred returned to Saint Lucia more than a month after defeating Sha’Carri Richardson to win the women’s 100m title at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 23-year-old received a hero’s welcome as she landed at the Hewanorra International Airport.

Government officials led the welcoming party before celebrations began for their first-ever Olympic gold medallist.

Julien Alfred won Saint Lucia’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Photos by OPM Stain Lucia (X) and Michael Steele. Source: Getty Images

Thousands of fans lined up on the street to get a glimpse of the Olympic gold medallist. The cheers were defeating as she moved from street to street.

World champion Richardson was the favourite to win the race after the withdrawal of Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

However, Alfred upset the American by winning her island’s first-ever gold medal at the Olympic Games. She clocked 10.72 seconds to secure the biggest win of her career.

What Alfred said after returning to Saint Lucia

Speaking at the welcoming ceremony, Alfred said her success in Paris needed a lot of work.

“It was truly a rocky road. Many days I wanted to just give up, throw in the towel and just say, ‘I’m done’. But my village, those persons who were around me, I just want to say thank you for just everything you have done for me. I really appreciate it,” she said, per St Lucia Times.

Alfred’s win ended Jamaica’s 16-year dominance in the distance at the Olympics.

“I’m going to start crying. I’ve been trying to stay strong as much as possible. It means a lot to me, my coach, my country, which I’m sure is celebrating now,” Alfred said after winning gold via Olympics.com.

Alfred wins Diamond league title

Ekwutosblog earlier reported that Julien Alfred won the 2024 100m Diamond League title in Brussels, Belgium.

The youngster defeated Richardson again after clocking 10.88 seconds ahead of Dina Asher-Smith and Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith.

Chelsea mathematically out of title race after 3-0 defeat to Everton

Published

3 days ago

March 21, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Chelsea are now mathematically out of the Premier League title race.

This follows their 3-0 drubbing in the hands of Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday night.

Liam Rosenior’s men came into the match with 48 points, looking to keep pace with the teams in front of them.

However, Beto opened the scoring for the hosts in the first half, before adding a second after the break.

Chelsea barely threatened Everton and looked flat for most of the game, before Iliman Ndiaye added a third.

The result means the Blues cannot match the 70 points that league leaders Arsenal currently have with seven matches left.

Champions Liverpool are also on the verge of being mathematically ruled out, as they have 49 points.

Super Eagles player bounced me from Iheanacho’s room — Osimhen

Published

3 days ago

March 21, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Galatasaray striker, Victor Osimhen, has claimed that a senior member of the Super Eagles squad in 2017 sent him away from a hotel room during his first call-up to the national team.

According to the 27-year-old, it was Kelechi Iheanacho who intervened and welcomed him inside.

Osimhen revealed this while appearing on a Twitch livestream with comedian, Carter Efe in the early hours of Saturday.

He said: “When I came, I met Iheanacho. And I told him, ‘ah, see me, I’m gonna carry your boots.’ So he said I should come to his room so, he gave me his room number.

“So, as I got to his room — I don’t just want to mention the name — he had a roommate. So, as I knocked on the door, the roommate opened the door. So, he like bounced me out of the room.”

Osimhen refused to reveal the identity of the player who sent him away.

AFCON 2025; Drama as Senegal Reportedly Relocates Trophy To Military Base After CAF Decision (Video)

Published

4 days ago

March 20, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Drama as Senegal reportedly relocates AFCON trophy to military base after Confederation of African Football (CAF) viral decision.

‎It would be recalled that CAF stripped Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, awarding it to Morocco instead.

This decision came after Morocco appealed the result of the January 18 final, where Senegal won 1-0 in extra time.

‎ According to the CAF Appeal Board, Senegal had forfeited the match due to their players walking off the pitch in protest of a penalty awarded to Morocco, citing Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations.

The controversy surrounds the AFCON final, where Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest of a late penalty awarded to Morocco.

In a clip circulating on the microblogging platform, X (formerly Twitter), a young man with glasses is seen holding the AFCON trophy surrounded by military personnel.

The clip captures the military personnel’s excitement as they support the trophy, with an officer recording the moment.

In a recent development, Senegal has announced plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with some officials and players expressing outrage and disappointment.