Julien Alfred Makes Diamond League Record No U.S. Female Sprinter Has as Ta Lou-Smith Faces Scare

Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith arrived in Zurich carrying the confidence of a sprinter who had pieced together one of her most consistent seasons. Fresh off a string of Diamond League podium finishes, the Ivorian champion posted a season best of 10.90 seconds in Silesia and backed it up with strong runs in Lausanne and Eugene. And the Diamond League final promised another chance to extend her form. But it produced the one outcome she dreaded: Disqualification.

The crowd inside Letzigrund had expected another head-to-head contest among the fastest women in the world. Instead, it saw Ta Lou-Smith leave the blocks too early. The false start ruling ended her campaign before the gun was officially fired, and though she continued down the track in protest, the result was already final. That setback framed the night for Julien Alfred, who seized the moment to achieve something no American female sprinter has ever done.

The Olympic 100-meter champion from Saint Lucia clocked 10.76 seconds to claim the Zurich title, a mark that also established a Diamond League final record in the women’s 100 meters. “10.76s!!,” read the official meet note from Track Gazette’s X post. While capturing the mix of precision and exhilaration that Alfred has brought back to the event after briefly stepping away earlier in August with a hamstring concern, Citius Mag added, “She’s BA-A-ACK ”

The race itself carried plenty of intrigue.

Alfred, still only 23, had withdrawn from two earlier meets this month, raising questions about her readiness. Those doubts evaporated as she held off Jamaica’s Tia Clayton, who ran 10.84 seconds but missed the automatic berth for Worlds. Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith crossed third in 10.94, underlining her return to form after injuries disrupted her earlier season. Meanwhile, Ta Lou-Smith could only watch her competitors record official times after the judges confirmed her disqualification.

She’s BA-A-ACK

Olympic 100m champ Julien Alfred doesn’t look like she’s missed a step after withdrawing from two Diamond Leagues earlier this month with a hamstring issue, holding off a strong challenge from Tia Clayton to take the #ZurichDL title in 10.76.

That’s… pic.twitter.com/Md0dEASmSN

— CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) August 28, 2025

It was a disappointing end to what had otherwise been a steady campaign for the Ivorian. In addition to her 100-meter victory at the Brussia Grand Prix in Italy, she placed among the top three in major Diamond League stops at Oslo, Stockholm, and Rome. Her 200-meter season’s best of 22.37 seconds in Lausanne ranked her among the fastest in Europe this summer. Those results earned her a place in Zurich, where she had hoped to challenge Alfred and the Jamaicans one last time before the World Championships.

Meanwhile, the broader significance of Alfred’s win extends beyond Zurich.

Among women sprinters, no American has claimed a Diamond League final record in the 100 or 200 meters. The only U.S. athlete who owns such a distinction is Valarie Allman, who set the discus final record. Alfred now joins that exclusive group, rewriting the recent history of the event and sharpening her profile as the standard-bearer of a new generation. For Ta Lou-Smith, the evening was a harsh reminder of the margins that define sprinting. For Alfred, it was a declaration that her place at the top of the sport remains secure.

This is a developing story…

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