Caribbean Corner

Olympic 100-meter women’s champion Julien Alfred on Tuesday stepped off an aircraft bringing her home to St. Lucia for the first time in nearly a decade as the island starts almost a week of celebrations for the 23-year-old who whipped a star-studded field at the recent Paris Olympics to win the gold medal and keep that title in the Caribbean. She also won a silver in the 200 meters. Dressed in the national colors of blue with the two medals dangling around her neck, she was met by a huge delegation led by Prime Minister Phillip Pierre, her parents and other well wishers, former members of her early club, The Survivors and a host of other cheering supporters. She was later taken to the city from the main Hewanorra Airport by motorcade, escorted by armed police and soldiers as the motorcade snaked its way through the hills and valleys in the south to the capital, Castries, 33 miles away. Thousands lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the national heroine as she sat atop an open c...