Running for the first time in just over a month, Julien Alfred showed few signs of rust as she claimed the 2025 Wanda Diamond League women’s 100m title on Thursday at Weltklasse Zurich. The Olympic 100m champion repeated as winner of the blue riband event in track and field’s most prestigious professional circuit, earning prize money of US$70,000.
After a false start by Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith of the Ivory Coast, the 24-year-old from Ciceron was second to Jamaica’s Tia Clayton in the early stages. Clayton led through the first 40 metres, but the Saint Lucian star drew level at the halfway mark and pulled away to win in 10.76 seconds, aided by a legal wind of 0.3 metres per second.
Clayton finished second in 10.84 seconds, with Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith third in 10.94. Only Alfred and world leader Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the United States have dipped below 10.8 seconds this year. Still, Alfred suggested she wasn’t entirely satisfied with Thursday’s performance.
“I feel like there is more work to be done,” said Alfred. “It is my first race back in five weeks, so it is like one step forward to me. I am not thinking about the time. It was about putting up the first and the second part. Now, I am working on little things before Tokyo.
“I have a great team, and they help me with things like media attention and pressure. I feel like I want to add another gold in my collection. The season has been long, but my favourite meets? Between London and Monaco. When I compare myself now and at the beginning of the season, I am much fitter than before and also mentally, I am in the right place where I want to be.”
With victory at the Stadion Letzigrund, Alfred becomes just the fourth woman to win back-to-back Diamond League 100m titles. Since the league was inaugurated in 2010, only three women have successfully defended their crowns.
American Carmelita Jeter was the first in 2010 and 2011, followed by Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 2012 and 2013. The most recent repeat winner was Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah in 2016 and 2017. Both Jamaicans also won in subsequent years, Fraser-Pryce doing so twice, in 2015 and 2022.
Notably, as Alfred turns her attention to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Jeter and Fraser-Pryce won world titles in the 100m in 2011 and 2013. Two-time double Olympic champion Thompson-Herah has never won an individual medal at the Worlds.
Congratulations on your achievement!
Juju congratulations and thanks for continuing to make your country proud! Nuff respect! Nuff love!🙏😘💪