Four months ago, a shocking incident during Julien Alfred’s gold medal celebration in St Lucia sparked outrage and lingering questions.
Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred’s historic triumph in August 2024 was met with a less-than-expected moment that sparked widespread outrage.
During a jubilant homecoming celebration in Saint Lucia, a man’s decision to bite Alfred’s gold medal caused a social media firestorm, raising questions about respect and decorum.
The 23-year-old sprinter made history last year when she clinched gold in the women’s 100 meters at the Paris Olympics, clocking a stunning 10.72 seconds and defeating favorites like Sha’Carri Richardson.
Ezekiel Kemboi has urged Kenya to better support its athletes, revealing why he turned down lucrative offers to switch nationalities.
Alfred’s victory was celebrated as a national achievement, with parades and festivities culminating in a grand motorcade through the streets of Vieux Fort.
However, the joy of the moment was interrupted when a man, identified as Malahkee Jeanba, took liberties with her prized possession.
Jeanba, livestreaming the celebration on his social media account, approached Alfred during the motorcade and asked if he could “touch the gold.” To the shock of onlookers, he then bit the medal, igniting a heated debate across the internet.
“Y’all only started watching Olympics as Julien Alfred won the gold… y’all never watched Olympics in the 90s, in the 80s. You never see the Olympians biting the medals?” Jeanba later defended himself in a viral video, dismissing the backlash as envy.
“They’re jealous because they never tasted the gold. They’re hating on me,” he declared as per TrackAlerts.
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Several names have been floated as contenders to succeed Paul Tergat, promising to steer Kenya’s Olympic committee into a new era.
The incident drew widespread condemnation from fans and fellow Saint Lucians, many of whom viewed Jeanba’s actions as disrespectful to Alfred and the magnitude of her achievement.
While the tradition of biting medals is not uncommon among athletes—often done at the request of photographers—it is rarely performed outside the sporting context, making Jeanba’s act feel out of place during the formal celebration.
For Alfred, the moment was an unwelcome blemish on an otherwise extraordinary homecoming. The young athlete, who dedicated her Olympic victory to her late father, has become a beacon of hope for Saint Lucia.
Beyond her 100m gold, she also claimed gold in the 60 meters at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, making her the first Saint Lucian to achieve such feats.
In the months since the incident, Alfred has chosen not to comment directly on Jeanba’s actions, focusing instead on her ongoing mission to inspire her nation.
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The decorated Olympian has shared how her husband Timothy Kitum has played a pivotal role in her journey to athletics stardom as well as parethood.
Speaking at the World Travel Market in late 2024, where she represented Saint Lucia as a tourism ambassador, Alfred outlined her ambitions for the 2025 season.
“My top three targets for 2025 are to grow as a person, mentally, physically, and spiritually,” she said. Her goals extend beyond the track, as she emphasized her commitment to inspiring the youth of Saint Lucia. “I want to continue inspiring those in my country, especially the youth,” Alfred added.
Now in January 2025, Alfred’s influence remains unshaken. Despite the medal-biting controversy, Alfred’s legacy as a trailblazer for Saint Lucia is firmly cemented.
Her home country has declared September 27 as “Julien Alfred Day,” ensuring her remarkable achievements—and the challenges she has faced—will be remembered for generations.
