Two-time world 100m hurdles champion Danielle Williams is gearing up for a demanding 2025 season, with her coach, Lennox Graham, carefully planning her competition schedule to ensure she peaks at the right times. With the introduction of Grand Slam Track in April, the Diamond League circuit, and the World Championships in Japan in September, Williams faces a long and challenging campaign.
Graham has coached Williams throughout her Hall of Fame career at Johnson C. Smith University and for all of her professional career, guiding her to two world titles and numerous accolades. His deep understanding of her strengths and areas for improvement has been instrumental in her continued success.
Williams, who claimed world titles in 2015 and 2023, has the advantage of a bye to the World Championships, meaning she is not required to compete at the Jamaica National Championships in June. However, Coach Graham emphasizes that maintaining her competitive edge throughout the season is crucial.
“The biggest challenge is balancing loading, unloading, and periodization while still ensuring she gets paid,” Graham explained. “This is her job. If she doesn’t race well, she doesn’t earn.”
Graham noted that while Williams is not locked in for every Grand Slam Track meet, her participation in selected events will be strategically placed within her schedule to maintain her form.
“The good thing is that she has a bye into the World Championships, so trials won’t be as crucial. But she still has to race well—you can’t tell a world champion to just jog through trials.”
Despite the excitement surrounding the Grand Slam Track series, Graham remains focused on the bigger picture. “We are excited to be part of Grand Slam Track—it’s a historic event. But like Diamond League, we won’t over-hype it. The main goal is still World Championships.”
Williams has been training well, and Graham believes she is still capable of setting a new personal best, even at this stage of her career.
“Every season, I believe she can run a PB—and I’ve told her that,” Graham said of his charge who boasts a lifetime best of 12.32. “It’s not common for 30-plus-year-old athletes to keep improving, but it has been done before.”
One of the key areas they have identified for improvement is Williams’ approach to the final four hurdles in the race. “Specifically her seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th hurdles—that’s where she loses time.”
The level of competition in the 100m hurdles has risen significantly since Williams won her first world title in 2015 with a time of 12.57, a mark that would not be competitive in today’s finals. “That’s where the standard is now. We have to evolve.”
With meticulous planning and targeted improvements, Graham is confident that Williams can maintain her world-class status in 2025. Her ability to balance early-season meets like Grand Slam Track while keeping her sights set on the World Championships will be critical in what promises to be a defining season for the reigning world champion.
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Danielle Williams as she aims to defend her world title and prove once again that she belongs among the elite in sprint hurdling.