Danielle Williams sets new 100mH national record in London
LONDON, United Kingdom — After facing the possibility of missing the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Doha, Jamaica’s sprint hurdler Danielle Williams made a strong statement about her spot on the team when she clocked a new national record in the 100m hurdles at the Diamond League meeting in London on Saturday.
Williams exploded from the blocks on her way to a sizzling 12.32 sec performance, which is also a new world lead and seventh-fastest time ever, in a positive 0.8 metres per second wind speed.
The 26-year-old, who was enjoying what was one of the finest days of her career, erased the previous national record of 12.40s set by Janeek Brown at the NCAA Division I Championships in Texas in June.
Williams earlier signalled her intentions from the outset when she lowered her previous personal best of 12.48s with a 12.41s-clocking in a negative 1.1 metres per second wind reading in the heats.
She continued her fine form in the final where she had the American pair of Nia Ali (12.57s) and Queen Claye (12.64s) a distant second and third respectively. Another Jamaican Megan Tapper was fourth in 12.66s.
“I am thrilled with that, my aim was always to run fast,” Williams said in a post-race interview.
“It has been coming all season and it was just about when. This track is a fast track and the fact that we get two opportunities because of the heats, you can fix what you did wrong and get ready for the final.
“I am looking forward to the next stage of the Diamond League in Birmingham and hopefully onto the finals,” she added.
Williams, the 2015 world champion,who was disqualified from the women’s 100m hurdles which was later abandoned at the Jamaican national championships late last month, is aiming to win the Diamond League title to earn a wild-card entry to the World Championships in September.
This following a declaration by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) President Warren Blake, that the top-three ranked hurdlers, with the exception of Williams, will be selected to represent the country.
However, should Williams gain the wild-card entry through the Diamond League win, it would open the door for Jamaica to have four representatives in the event at the World Championships, if her invitation is accepted by the JAAA.
