Briana Williams
Olympic and World Championship medalist Briana Williams has renewed her sponsorship deals with both GraceKennedy Ltd and Digicel, her management agency Leep Marketing announced on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Williams, who is currently in Budapest as a member of Jamaica’s team to the 2023 World Athletics Championships that get underway on Saturday, August 19, is Jamaica’s youngest ever Olympic gold medallist.
William expressed her delight at the renewed partnerships.
“I am thrilled to extend my partnership with Digicel and Grace Foods. Jamaica has many accomplished athletes in the sprints, so I don’t take for granted how special it is to have the continued support of not one, but two of the most iconic brands in Jamaica,” she shared.
“This motivates me to continue to give my best, and I look forward to helping in any way I can at the upcoming World Championships, and of course, for next season, making Jamaica’s team in an individual event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.”
Williams signed sponsorship deals with Jamaican brands at the start of her professional career in 2020 at just 18 years old. The rising star was the 2018 World U20 sprint double champion, and the Austin Sealy awardee at the CARIFTA Games in 2018 and then 2019, for her records set and gold medals earned in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay in both editions. She is the only Jamaican to win the award two years in a row since Usain Bolt in 2004.
At 19 in 2021, Briana became Jamaica’s youngest Olympic Gold medallist as part of the 4x100m relay team at the Tokyo Olympics. She also helped Jamaica to 4x100m silver at the World Championships in Oregon.
Tanya Lee Perkins, Head of Leep Marketing and Jamaica sponsorship managers for Briana Williams, lauded both brands for their renewed partnerships stating, “There is always a bit of a gamble involved when brands sign athletes at the start of their professional careers, and both Digicel and GraceKennedy did so during the pandemic. Briana has delivered two medals for Jamaica since then, and most importantly, she continues to give back through her philanthropic efforts. The partnerships have been mutually beneficial.”
GraceKennedy (GK) Group CEO Don Wehby commented, “Briana is a talented and focused young athlete with a strong determination to succeed. We are happy to support her scholarship for student-athletes and proud to be a part of her journey."
Digicel Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Murad, shared similar sentiments sayinf, “Briana has been an exceptional ambassador over the past three years. We appreciate her collaborative spirit, fun-loving personality, and her commitment to giving back to her athletic community, which truly exemplifies her character and aligns with Digicel’s core values. Digicel has a great “track” record of building great partnerships in Sport and Briana is a shining example for Jamaica’s athletes of today and tomorrow.”
Despite an injury-plagued start to her 2023 season, Williams has made Jamaica’s team to the World Championships in Budapest as a 100m alternative and part of women’s 4x100m relay pool.
Dominican Republic’s Luguelin Santos stripped of world junior title for age-manipulation violations
Dominican sprinter Luguelin Santos has been stripped of his World Junior Championships gold medal from 2012 and handed a three-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for age-manipulation violations. The AIU revealed this decision on Friday, uncovering Santos's admission to competing with a falsified date of birth during the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona.
Luguelin Santos, now 31 years old, had clinched the 400-metre gold at the 2012 World Junior Championships when he was just 18. However, the AIU's investigation exposed that Santos had utilized a passport with a manipulated birthdate, claiming to be born on November 12, 1993, when, in reality, his birthdate is November 12, 1992. Consequently, Santos was ineligible to participate in the 2012 World Juniors, as per the competition rules requiring junior athletes to be either 18 or 19 years old on December 31 of the competition year.
The AIU, in a statement, clarified the gravity of the violation, stating, "Thus, he was ineligible to participate in the World Juniors 2012." The age-manipulation incident tarnished Santos's victory at the championship, leading to the unprecedented decision to strip him of the gold medal.
Santos, a two-time Youth Olympic champion, had furthered his career by claiming a silver medal in the 400m event at the 2012 London Olympics. However, Brett Clothier, Head of the AIU, emphasized that unlike doping violations, age-manipulation sanctions do not warrant the annulment of Olympic results. Clothier explained, "There is no basis on which to annul his Olympic result as that was not an age-group event and no violation was committed there."
World champs bronze medallist Sada Williams receives prestigious national honour from Barbados
For her trailblazing exploits in track and field Sada Williams was on Thursday recognized by her home country of Barbados at their Independence Day National Honours ceremony.
Williams, who turns 26 on Friday, is a back-to-back World Championship 400m bronze medallist and is the first Barbadian women to win a medal at a global championship. She won a bronze medal in the 400m at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon and repeated the feat at the 2023 Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August. In so doing she became the first Barbadian athlete to win a global medal at consecutive championships.
She also won the 400m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England and took home a silver medal at the NACAC Championships that same year.
For that and more, she was awarded The Gold Trident of Excellence Award in recognition of her outstanding achievements and dedicated service to her country. It was an honour to be appreciated, she said.
“I feel very honoured to be recognized this year and last year and I am hoping to continue to do great things reach further,” said Williams who was attending the Independence Day Parade for the very first time.
World champions Jackson, Williams, Watson lead nominees for RJR Sports Foundation Athlete of the Year
The race for Jamaica's Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year for 2023 has officially begun, with the announcement of the nominees on Wednesday. The 63rd RJR Sports Foundation Women and Men Athletes of the Year will see a fierce competition among some of the nation's top athletic talents, with World Athletics Championships gold medallists Shericka Jackson, Danielle Williams, and Antonio Watson among the standout contenders.
The nominees for the People's Choice Award include Jackson's impressive 200m victory, Williams' triumph in the 100m hurdles, and Watson's groundbreaking performance at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. The anticipation for these accolades is high, considering the outstanding achievements of these athletes on the global stage.
The winners of the prestigious awards will be unveiled during a ceremony scheduled for January 19, 2024. Jackson, who is considered a heavy favorite to secure the award she shared with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 2022, showcased another stellar season, adding a silver medal in the 100m at the World Championships in Budapest. Her exceptional form was highlighted by securing the Diamond League 100m and 200m titles in Eugene, Oregon.
Williams, too, enjoyed a remarkable year, surprising many by claiming victory in the 100m hurdles in Budapest, where she outperformed formidable rivals such as Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Kendra Harrison, and Tobi Amusan.
The competition for the Women Athlete of the Year is intensified with the inclusion of World Championship bronze medallists Rushell Clayton and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, along with Suncorp Super Netball League standout Jhaniele Fowler.
Antonio Watson, the trailblazing Jamaican sprinter, leads the nominations for the Men Athlete of the Year. Watson made history as the first Jamaican man in 40 years to clinch the gold medal in the World Championships 400m.
The list of male nominees also features World Championships 110m hurdles silver medalist and Diamond League champion Hansle Parchment, along with standout long jumpers Wayne Pinnock, Tajay Gayle, the silver and bronze medalists from Budapest as well as Pan American 400m hurdles champion Jaheel Hyde, and motorsports star Fraser McConnell.
The People's Choice Award nominations encompass memorable moments, including Shamar Nicholson's equalizing goal in the recent CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final match against Canada and Drew Spence's incredible free kick against Canada in their Olympic qualifier.
The selection panel, chaired by Mike Fennell, boasts a distinguished lineup including retired media practitioner Courtney Sergeant, Olympian Deon Hemmings-McCatty, President of Jamaica’s Inter-Secondary School Sports Association Keith Wellington, and Michael Hall, former chairman of the Sports Foundation and League Operations Manager of the Caribbean Premier League.
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