With the 2025 World Athletics Championships getting underway on September 12 in Tokyo, Japan, Saint Lucia’s Minister for Youth Development & Sports can’t wait for the island’s two-member team to get into action. Kenson Casimir spoke about Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred and 100m hurdles bronze medallist Aasia Laurencin at the September 8 pre-Cabinet meeting. He told reporters that he has very high expectations for Alfred over the week to come.
“Julien will be competing this weekend in the 100, and of course [later on in] the 200m. We saw the work Julien put in towards the 200m over the last six months, and so we are expecting a double,” stated Casimir.
“No pressure for Julien Alfred this weekend. She looks in fine form. I’ve heard some discussions as to whether or not she’s peaked at 10.7, but we’re expecting 10.6 something this weekend, which would be a national record again for Saint Lucia.”
Alfred, the reigning Olympic 100m gold medallist and back-to-back Diamond League Trophy winner in that discipline, is the second-fastest woman over 100m in 2025. She won the 100m at Paris 2024 in 10.72 seconds, a national record. This year, she is one of only two women running consistently under 10.8 seconds, along with Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the USA. Jefferson-Wooden was third in the Olympics 100m last year.
Weather forecasts for Tokyo indicate a chance for rain this weekend, as was the case in the Stade de France in 2024. Tokyo is not known for its positive winds, however, which might also affect the sprint performances. Alfred will have two days to rest between the 100m final and the start of the 200m, beginning September 10 Saint Lucia time. Laurencin is hopeful of being in action on one of those two days, in the semifinals and final of the sprint hurdles.
“Aasia has been doing very well when she performed for [the University of Michigan] in the 100 metre hurdles,” recalled Casimir.
“We are expecting big things from her as well. Obviously, she has her own personal objectives at the World Champs, but she’s definitely a work in progress that we’re excited about. And of course, we know, coming behind are the likes of Naomi London and Jady Emanuel. So you see how bright it looks for us in track and field.”
Minister Casimir has said again that discussion about a possible women’s 4×100 metre relay team is ongoing. He opined that having Alfred and Laurencin in Tokyo shows that Saint Lucia has “natural talent and ability all over the world.”
Saint Lucia @ Tokyo 2025 (Saint Lucia Times)
Julien Alfred 100m
Saturday Sep 13th
5:55 a.m. heats
Sunday Sep 14th
7:20 a.m. semis
9:13 a.m. final
Julien Alfred 200m
Wednesday Sep 17th
6:30 a.m. heats
Thursday Sep 18th
8:24 a.m. semis
Friday Sep 19th
9:22 a.m. final
Aasia Laurencin 100m hurdles
Saturday Sep 13th
10:28 p.m. heats
Monday Sep 15th
8:05 a.m. semis
9:20 a.m. final
