Miller-Uibo, who has tried in vain to have the 400 and 200 metres spread out at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, will likely be running just the half-lap event and not defending her title.
She went a long way on Friday to show she was getting faster, clocking 10.98 to smash her personal best twice after first easing to 11.03 in the heats.
The time puts Miller-Uibo in rarified air, the tall Bahamian now just one of four women to ever run sub-11 over 100 metres, sub-22 over 200, and sub-49 over 400.
Miller-Uibo got the better of 17-year-old United States athlete Tamari Davis, who clocked 11.15 seconds, and Jamaica’s Natalliah White, 11.19.
The International Olympic Committee and the organisers in Japan announced on Tuesday that they have postponed the Games for about a year because of the Coronavirus pandemic that has forced the cancellation or rescheduling of major sports across the globe.
The COVID-19 virus has infected more than 400,000 people and killed almost 19,000 in more than 150 countries.
What this means is that the 18-year-old sprinter now has to wait an extra year before she gets to compete in her very first Olympic Games against the world’s best sprinters. Not surprisingly, she posited a mature outlook.
“The postponement of the Olympics is a great decision because it’s for our health & safety. I’ve been looking forward to making the team for Tokyo 2020 with all the hard work I’ve put in, and the daily struggles that all of us athletes have to face,” Williams said while adding that all the athletes affected must still keep that Olympic dream alive.
“But these things happen for a reason. We just have to keep safe and take care of ourselves. “
Meanwhile, her coach Ato Boldon said the postponement simply means that his athlete has more time to prepare to take on the best female sprinters on the planet.
“Briana would have been ready to surprise many in Tokyo 2020, but now she gets another year to get stronger, fitter and faster. She has improved her 100m time every year for the past three seasons, so waiting another year for the Olympics should be beneficial,” Boldon said.
Williams has been in Jamaica for the past two weeks during which time she celebrated her 18th birthday. Nevertheless, she will soon be back in full training as she prepares for the possibility of meets later on this season and for 2021.
“Our facility here (Florida) has been on lockdown but the restrictions will be lifted soon. She will continue to train with the expectation that there will be some late season meets in 2020. Her training will be altered significantly though,” he said.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the organisers in Tokyo released a joint statement on Tuesday revealing their decision to postpone the Olympics until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The virus has infected more than 400,000 across the globe and has killed approximately 19,000. It is against that background that the Games were postponed as the health and safety of the athletes and spectators were on paramount importance.
Minister Grange, who oversees Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports, said the country welcomed the decision.
“We have received confirmation from the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government that the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed. We accept this decision and we think it is a good move,” she said.
“For one thing, it provides well-needed clarity for our athletes.
It is difficult to prepare for international competition in the best of times, so we can imagine how much more difficult it has been for them during this time of uncertainty.”
The minister said the government had committed to providing stipends for athletes while they train for the Games under the Athlete Assistance Programme.
However; “We will pay the sums up to the end of March as our athletes put their training programmes on hold,” she said.
“I know the disappointment that athletes feel, but I know they understand the reasons for the postponement.
“We look forward to them resuming training and representing Jamaica with distinction when it is safe to do so. At that time the Games will also be a celebration of humanity’s triumph over this virus.”
She encouraged the athletes to take steps to keep themselves safe by practising social distancing and washing their hands regularly with soap and water.
