Briana Williams happy despite finishing outside of the medals
Published:Sunday | March 20, 2022 | 12:10 AMPaul-Andre Walker - Sports Editor
UP-AND-COMING SPRINT star Briana Williams is, today, a happy woman despite going without a medal in her first individual outing on the world stage.
On Friday, Williams, in a blanket finish at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, found herself just outside of the medals with a fifth-place finish.
“I came to the championships with the 5th fastest time and placed 5th overall in the finals but look at the times, down to the milliseconds,” Williams wrote in an Instagram post.
Williams came into the tournament with the fifth best time in the world with her season and personal best 7.09 seconds.
She immediately improved on that, running 7.06 to get into the semi-final, where she again ran quicker than the personal best she had coming in, winning her heat in 7.08.
In the final she lowered her personal best to 7.04 but still found herself out of the medal placings, with third, fourth, fifth, and sixth all clocking the same time.
Marybeth Sant-Price grabbed third for the United States, while Poland’s Ewa Swoboda, the world leader coming into the championships, was fourth.
All four were well beaten by a brilliant performance from Switzerland’s Munjinga Kambundji, who timed her season right, winning in a world lead 6.96 seconds.
The only other athlete below seven seconds was the United States’ Mikiah Brisco, 6.99.
Williams was not disappointed that those performances got the better of her, continuing instead to focus on her own growth in the sport.
HAPPY WITH PROGRESS
“I did want to leave with a medal but we can’t always have what we want. I’m so happy with my progress thus far and to have lowered my PB in the 60m twice,” she said.
According to Williams, she will be better for having had this experience.
“This is my first real indoor season and i’ve certainly learnt a lot from it. I’ve enjoyed my time here in Belgrade, Serbia,” she said.
But there is no looking back for the 19-year-old, who is already making plans for the outdoor season.
“Now it’s time for outdoors,” she said.
Williams’ coach, Ato Boldon, who had predicted that the youngest Olympic medallist in Jamaica’s track and field history would do well and would certainly lower her personal best, said he was proud of her performance.
“I’m proud of wat you’ve done,” an Instagram post from the legendary Trinidad and Tobago athlete read in part.
But like Williams, Boldon is also looking forward.
“… really excited for the outdoor season,” he wrote.
“Take a bow,” Boldon told Williams, “No 19-year-old woman has ever run 60m faster.”