Julien Alfred Stuns World Champion Jefferson-Wooden in Rome Diamond League Thriller

ROME, Italy – Saint Lucia’s sprint sensation Julien Alfred delivered a statement victory at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea Wanda Diamond League on Thursday night, storming past reigning World Champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in the women’s 200m at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. 

Saint Lucia’s sprint sensation, Julien AlfredJust one week shy of her 25th birthday, Alfred clocked a blistering 21.93 seconds with a legal 1.3 m/s tailwind. Despite a shaky start, the two-time defending Diamond League 100m champion showed remarkable composure to hold off her American rival.

Jefferson-Wooden, who swept both the 100m and 200m titles at last year’s World Championships in Tokyo, finished second in 22.17 seconds.

While the victory was impressive, it was far from Alfred’s absolute best. She currently owns the world’s fastest time for 2026, a scorching 21.86 seconds set back in April.

Thursday’s winning effort ranks as her sixth-fastest clocking ever. The race marked Alfred’s first Diamond League appearance of the season.

For Jefferson-Wooden, the meet signalled a return to competition after a nine-month hiatus. The American used her time away from the track for a honeymoon, spent in Alfred’s home nation of Saint Lucia.

The budding rivalry is far from over. Both sprinters are scheduled to clash again in the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic on July 4.

In other action on the Rome track, Jamaica’s Megan Simmonds produced a brilliant performance to storm to victory in the women’s 100m hurdles, crossing the line in a season’s best 12.50 seconds.

Fellow Jamaican Danielle Williams also impressed, finishing fifth in a highly competitive field with her own season’s best of 12.69 seconds.