Tara Davis-Woodhall reacts to wholesome moment between Usain Bolt and Julien Alfred during victory ceremony at Oslo Diamond League

Olympic champion long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall shared her thoughts on Julien Alfred's recent victory at the Oslo Diamond League. The sprinter from St. Lucia was felicitated by her 'idol,' Jamaican sprinting sensation Usain Bolt, at the victory ceremony.

Davis-Woodhall shared a video of Alfred receiving flowers from Bolt after her victory in the 100m event. The Olympic champion long jumper also shared her reaction on her Instagram story.

Davis-Woodhall also captioned the story,

"Juju [Julien Alfred] getting her flowers from Usain is such a wholesome moment"

Screengrab of Tara Davis-Woodhall's Instagram story on Julien Alfred and Usain Bolt [Image Source : Tara Davis-Woodhall's Instagram]

Alfred shared her reaction when Bolt arrived at the stadium, and she halted her interview to meet him. In her words,

"What! My idol. Never met him. Now is my chance. My heart is pounding. I’ll be right back,” she said.

Alfred further narrated how she never got the chance to meet her idol despite being in Jamaica for a long time. In her words,

"I mean, he has been my idol since I was young. I always wanted to be like him, and I went to school in Jamaica for three years, didn't meet him, and now I finally get a chance to meet him. So, it's such an honor."

Julien Alfred opened her 2025 season with a bang by winning the 100m event at the Oslo Diamond League with a seasonal best timing of 10.89 seconds. Alfred had become the first athlete from St. Lucia to win the Diamond League title for the 100m event last year.

Julien Alfred shares her thoughts on the life-changing impact of her success at the Paris Olympics

Julien Alfred at the Paris Olympics 2024 [Image Source : Getty]

On August 3, 2024, history was rewritten at the Stade de France in Paris. Before Julien Alfred, St. Lucia hadn't won a single Olympic medal in the history of the Olympics, let alone a gold medal. However, Alfred had other ideas. She stunned the top favorite, Sha'Carri Richardson from the USA, to win St. Lucia's first-ever Olympic gold medal with a national record of 10.72 seconds.

Months later, when the St. Lucian sprinter turned up for her season opener at the Oslo Diamond League, she recounted the life-changing impact of her success. In her press brief organized by Wanda Diamond League, Alfred remarked,

"My life has changed for the better, especially being able to represent my small island of Saint Lucia with just under two-hundred thousand people, becoming tourism ambassador for my country, obviously being recognised more now."

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Alfred further added,

"And just stepping to the line knowing that there is a lot more pressure on my back, there is a target on my back now but you know, I am ready for every challenge presented to me. More opportunities in life, and I think what's most important is now using my voice to also promote my country and just realising that I have a talent that's going to glorify god."

Julien Alfred will now be competing at the Stockholm leg of the Wanda Diamond League, which will be held on June 15 at the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm, Sweden.

About the author

Animesh Pandey is a seasoned content writer at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience, having previously worked as an intern for Follow Your Sport before joining SK as a columnist in 2017. A graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, he also worked at TFI Media Private Limited and contributed as an intern for the movie website Nettv4u.

He has extensively covered events from World Championships to the Olympics, providing insights and analyses that resonate with his audience. His belief in mastering the basics and delivering accurate, relevant, and ethical information through thorough research is reflected in his work.

He was notably invited to the National Sports and Adventure Awards 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan after winning a MyGov quiz on Indian Sports, where he engaged with celebrated athletes such as Rahi Sarnobat, Hima Das, Jinson Johnson, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, and Subedar Neeraj Chopra, who also happens to be his favorite Olympian.

Despite being a field hockey enthusiast, Animesh's most cherished Olympic moments include Wayde Van Niekerk's unexpected world record in the 400 meters at Rio and Chopra's historic gold medal in Tokyo.

When not immersed in writing or watching the Olympics, Animesh indulges in his love for movies, embracing quality cinema regardless of the language.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua