Alfred Set for Unusual Season Opener

World Indoors 60m champion Julien Alfred and coach Edrick Floreal have sprung a surprise to open the 2025 season.  As reported by St Lucia Times in December, the 23-year-old from Ciceron will headline the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix this weekend in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, marking her season debut, and her first outing since capturing the Wanda Diamond League 100m crown last September in Brussels.  But the second-fastest woman of all time over 60m won’t be running in the event that got her a first global title in Glasgow last March. Instead, it was announced on Monday that the 2024 Olympic 100m champion and 200m silver medallist will contest the women’s 300m on Sunday. Alfred has only ever run the 300m once, clocking 37.36 in June 2022. That performance was the 22nd fastest for the year, and 147th all time. But in the off-season, coach Flo publicly committed her to doing longer events this year to help build her speed endurance.  The Saint Lucian champion, one of the biggest names confirmed for the TRACK at New Balance, will face off against British training partner, Dina Asher-Smith, and Lynna Irby-Jackson of the USA.  Asher-Smith, 29, won a 200m world title in...