After a disappointing 60m run at the Millrose Games in New York on January 29, Briana Williams ran a massive personal best at the New Balance Grand Prix on Staten Island, New York on Sunday but her coach believes she can go even faster once she breaks out of her ‘starting slump’.
If she can before March, a medal at the World Indoor Athletics Championships could be in the offing.
The 19-year-old Olympic gold medalist opened her season equaling her previous lifetime best of 7.18 at the Purple Tiger meet in Louisiana on January 14 but after promising to go even faster at the Millrose Games, two weeks later, she finished a disappointing fourth in 7.22.
To rub salt into her emotional wound, Williams, the youngest ever Jamaican Olympic gold medalist was beaten by 16-year-old Shawnti Jackson, who equalled the Jamaican’s lifetime best of 7.18, which for her was a personal best as well as an American high school record.
Fast-forward to Sunday and the preliminary heats of the 60m dash where Williams exploded to a brand new personal best of 7.09, which at the time, was the second-fastest time in the world this year. It was the fastest time going into the final that was won by Mikiah Brisco, who caught Williams late in the race before edging in front to record a new world lead of 7.07.
Williams ran her second-fastest time ever, 7.11, for second place.
Her times of 7.09 and 7.11 make her the fastest Jamaican in the world this year, 0.05 faster than Kemba Nelson’s 7.16 set a week ago and 0.14 faster than Kevona Davis’ 7.25.
“My coach and I knew this was coming. It was just for me to have the patience and the right race,” said Williams after her races on Sunday.
“I was happy with my personal best in the preliminaries and to follow that up with 7.11 in the final. There are still things to work on as you can see from the final, but I'm happy with my finish today.”
Among the things she has to work on is getting back the electric start that had defined her career to date as one of the best in the world but which has seemingly deserted her recently.
Williams’ coach, Ato Boldon, believes Williams is primed to go faster but her start has become an issue of concern.
“This is just her third race of the season, her rhythm is better and she is out of the weight room. We still have things to figure out. She is still not starting well,” he said, suggesting that he believes it’s all in her head.
“She is thinking about it. It’s a starting slump.”
Boldon said he would rate her performances on Sunday as an eight-out-ten, believing that once she gets back to instinctively starting well, she will go faster; seven-zero-low.
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Dafne Schippers' race 'stops here': Two-time world champion, hampered by injury, hangs up her spikes
Two-time 200m world champion Dafne Schippers, who famously chased down and beat Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah at the line in the finals at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China, has retired.
The 31-year-old Dutchwoman, who won a silver medal in the 100m final behind Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce that year, has been plagued by injury over the past few years, impairing her ability to compete at the highest level.
On Tuesday, she announced on Instagram that her race has been run.
“The race stops here,” she announced.
“As an athlete, you always know this day will come, that at one point, your career will be a moment in time—a collection of memories and hopefully medals. Today, I have decided to take my life off track to pursue and embrace whatever comes next, but not without saying a massive thank you for all the endless support. It has been a journey without regret.”
She expressed gratitude to all who have supported in a career that did not quite materialize in the way she would have liked.
“My family, my team, my fans, and my sponsors, you made it all worthwhile.”
At her peak, Schippers was among the greatest ever short sprinters.
She set a championship record of 21.63 in Beijing after chasing down Thompson-Herah and nipping the Jamaican, who ran a then personal best of 21.66, at the line. Veronica Campbell-Brown was third in 21.97.
At the time, Schippers’ time was the third-fastest ever run over the half-lap sprint. Only Florence Griffith-Joyner (21.34) and Marion Jones (21.62) had run faster. The Dutchwoman had earlier run a lifetime best 10.81 to win the silver medal behind Fraser-Pryce in the 100m final.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Schippers won the silver medal behind Thompson-Herah in the 200m, running a time of 21.88. She was a disappointing fifth in the 100m final due to injury. She won the 200m world title at the 2017 World Championships and was third in the 100m.
An adductor injury forced her to withdraw from the 2019 World Championships in Doha and persistent back injuries limited her ability to compete internationally for more than a year. She last raced in the 100m in Belgium in July 2022 finishing second in her heat in 11.37.
Iconic track and field coach Glen Mills Honoured at People Profile Awards 2023
Coach Glen Mills, the renowned track and field guru, was the center of attention at the Annual People Profile Awards on Sunday, September 24.
Held at the Faith Centre in Sunrise, Florida, the black-tie red-carpet affair, sponsored by the Housing Foundation of America, not only celebrated exceptional individuals and organizations within the community but also paid tribute to luminaries in the music industry and sports.
Coach Glen Mills received special recognition for his contributions to the world of track and field, along with Consul General R. Oliver Mair, who was honored with the President's Award.
Mills, whose career as a track and field coach, has spanned five decades, developed some of Jamaica’s greatest sprinters including 100/200m world record holder Usain Bolt, the fastest man in history who is also an eight-time Olympic gold medalist and 11-time world champion.
Mills also developed Yohan Blake, the youngest man to win a 100m world title in 2011 and Warren Weir, the 2012 Olympic 200m bronze medalist.
Mills also coached Raymond Stewart to the Olympic 100m final at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles while he was fresh out of Camperdown High School where Mills helped cement a legacy for the school that would eventually be dubbed ‘The Sprint Factory’ having produced such luminaries like Leroy Reid and Remaldo Rose.
Mills is currently the coach of Oblique Seville, who was fourth in the 100m finals in 2022 and 2023.
Founded by Lecturer/Businessman Dr. Allan Cunningham in 2015, the People Profile Awards aim to recognize individuals whose stories inspire, motivate, or educate others while supporting charitable causes.
Under the theme "Together We Are Stronger," the People Profile Organization collaborated with the University of Fort Lauderdale, aligning their vision to prioritize people, education, and community. This partnership is set to create a lasting impact on the community.
The People Profile Awards 2023 featured an evening filled with entertainment, promising an unforgettable experience for all attendees.
The awards ceremony encompassed 16 categories, including "Humanitarian," "Media," "Sportsman of the Year," and "Courage" Awards.
Norman Hemming assumed the role of host for this grand celebration of excellence.
After bruising season Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce finding healing in fashion in Italy
After a grueling season battling injury while facing the fastest women on the planet, Jamaican track icon star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce took some time to enjoy some of the finer things in life at the Bottega Veneta fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 in Milan, Italy on Saturday.
The two-time Olympic 100m champion, known for her colourful wigs and trendsetting couture, was among a galaxy of celebrities gathered for the occasion that included writer, fashion editor, and New York Times best-selling author Derek Blasberg, Erykah Badu as well as Sabato de Samo, Gucci’s new Head of Creative.
The five-time world 100m champion is still recovering from a hamstring injury sustained at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August as well as a longstanding knee injury that significantly impacted her preparation last season. But what better way is there to heal the body and soul than immersing one’s self in the world of high fashion.
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