SAINT Lucia’s sprint sensation, Julien “Juju” Alfred, was recognised as Saint Lucia’s Female Athlete of the Year for 2024 during the recent Saint Lucia Athletic Association’s (SLAA) annual awards evening at thePlayers Pavilion at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.
Alfred, the reigning World Indoor 60-meter champion, Olympic 100-meter champion, and 200-meter silver medalist, as well as the Diamond League 100-meter champion, was in the spotlight as the SLAA celebrated the exceptional performances of its track and field athletes.
This year’s awards theme was: “Elevating Excellence: Celebrating the Spirit of Athletics.”
The event drew a distinguished gathering which included Minister for Youth Development and Sports Kenson Casimir, Dorna Henry of the SLAA, Alfred Emmanuel, President of the Saint Lucia Olympic Association (SLOC) Inc., and former SLOC President Fortuna Belrose.
Ajani Lebourne was the featured speaker.
In other notable awards, Michael Joseph, who also represented Saint Lucia in Paris 2024, claimed the Male Athlete of the Year title, while Denzel Phillip and Naya Jules earned the titles of Junior Male and Female Athletes of the Year, respectively.
The Male and Female Juvenile Athlete of the Year awards went to sprinters Ricardo Mann and Jady Emmanuel, underlining the strength of young talent in the sport.
Numerous athletes were honoured for their participation in various regional and international championships throughout the year, including the RAN Under-17 Games, CARIFTA Games, World Under-20 Championships, World Indoor Championships, and the Paris Olympics.
The long-distance team of Neville Dupre, Jason Sayers, Michael Biscette, and Marbeq Edgar received accolades for their impressive performances both locally and regionally.
Cuthbert Modeste was duly awarded Coach of the Year, and Wayne Rameau was recognized as Technical Official of the Year.
Immediate Past President Brendaline Descartes was celebrated as Administrator of the Year, while Henry Bailey received the Long Service Award for his dedicated contributions as a coach, administrator, and technical official.