Julien Alfred captured everyone’s attention when she effortlessly broke a 14-year meet record twice at the Tyson Invitational in January. It’s why she goes into the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships as the favorite alongside Zaynab Dosso. Both clocked 6.99 in February and made the cut for the World Indoors. But among all the entries sits one lone American sprinter, hoping to end Team USA’s drought in the 60m.

With her 7.03-second run at the Tyson Invitational, Jacious Sears made the entry list for the world indoors as the only American. It does mean that their drought has not made the USA’s hopes any easier. The Americans haven’t won a world indoor title in nearly ten years, since Barbara Pierre won gold in 2016.

They did, however, manage a second and third-place finish in 2022, but outside that, nothing. That does come as a shock, given that Team USA won seven golds in the first 16 events dating back to 1987. However, they have failed to secure any victories in the 2020s (i.e., the last four events) and are now placing all their hopes on Sears.

The 24-year-old has, however, started her season well, giving her a decent chance at a podium finish.

She finished second behind Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith at the Millrose Games, albeit only 0.2 seconds behind the 60m UK Indoor Championships record holder. Sears then finished second again, this time behind Alfred at the Tyson Invitational. At the 2026 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, the American finally achieved her first gold medal.

She blazed through the competition, running 7.04 seconds for the win after being named the pre-race favorite for the 60 m. However, while Sears may be the lone American at the world indoors, she’s not the only one gunning for Julien Alfred, although the Saint Lucia sprinter has a lot of support.

Julien Alfred is set to shine at World Indoors by SLAA

The Saint Lucia Athletics Association (SLAA) has backed their star to excel once more at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships. Alfred enters as one of the favorites, as she jointly holds the leading women’s world 60-meter time at 6.99 seconds. 

She shares that with Zaynab Dosso, but that hasn’t stopped SLAA President Dora Henry from praising her sprinter.

“The World Athletics Indoor Championships present another valuable opportunity for Saint Lucia to showcase its athletic talent on the global stage,” Henry said, as per Pulse Sports.

“Julien continues to serve as an inspiration to a new generation of young athletes at home, and her participation at this level reflects the continued growth and potential of athletics in our country.”

However, while the SLAA backs her, several others are gunning for her, prime among whom is Dosso. The Italian has been in fine fettle, winning all four finals that she has competed in, including three World Indoor Tour gold victories.

She won’t be the only one, as Patrizia van der Weken, Dina Asher-Smith, Amy Hunt, and six others have all enjoyed personal best starts to the season and will be hoping for more. However, only time will tell if Jacious Sears manages to end the American curse or if Julien Alfred adds another world indoor championship gold to her collection.